Movies playing in town

Babies (PG) This documentary looks at the first days of four babies in four far corners of the world. Vinegar Hill Theater

The Back-up Plan (PG-13, 98 minutes) In this romantic comedy, Jennifer Lopez plays a single woman who wants to get pregnant without waiting any more to meet Mr. Right. So she gets pregnant. Then she meets Mr. Right (Alex O’Loughlin). Read C-VILLE’s full review here. Regal Downtown Mall 6

City Island (PG-13, 100 minutes)â¨ A family of oddballs gets turned on its head when an ex-con visits the home in Raymond DeFelitta’s new comedy. Starring Andy Garcia and Juliana Margulies. Regal Downtown Mall 6

Date Night (PG-13, 88 minutes)â¨Steve Carrell and Tina Fey both act below their talents in this far-out comedy about a couple whose night on the town goes awry. Fortunately, a comedy below their mighty talents is still pretty good. Read C-VILLE’s full review here. Regal Downtown Mall 6

Movies playing in town

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG, 140 minutes) The Pevensie kids return to the magical land of Narnia, only to find that 1,000 years have passed since their last visit, leaving Narnia a far different place than it was before. Wouldn’t you know it, an evil general has taken over the land and it’s up to our pubescent crew to restore the true heir, tousle-haired hunk Prince Caspian (Stardust’s Ben Barnes), to the throne. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Dark Knight (PG-13, 140 minutes) Just as Batman (Christian Bale) makes real headway cleaning up Gotham’s streets, with help from a top cop (Gary Oldman) and an aggressive D.A. (Aaron Eckhart), some joker calling himself the Joker (Heath Ledger) decides to mastermind a terrifying criminal rampage. Out comes the heavy artillery–and the moviegoers who don’t usually bother with this superhero silliness but are morbidly curious about the late Ledger’s final full performance. Opening Friday

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R, 111 minutes) Up-and-comer Jason Segel (Knocked Up, “How I Met Your Mother”) pens and stars in this latest anti-romantic comedy addition to the increasingly large Judd Apatow canon. Segel plays a sad sack musician whose TV star girlfriend (TV star Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. In an attempt to get over it, he jets off to a resort in Hawaii, only to run smack dab into the ex and her new, clueless rock star boyfriend. There’s a fair amount of raunch here, but a decent amount of sentiment as well, placing it well above Drillbit Taylor, but slightly below Superbad. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Get Smart (PG-13, 110 minutes) The old TV show remakes just keep coming. Here, Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway take over as Maxwell Smart and Agent 99, one bumbling, one sexy secret agent who must join forces to stop the evil organization KAOS from destroying the world. The film does have fun resurrecting a lot of the original jokes and props—although how many people actually remember them is a legitimate question. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Hancock (PG-13, 92 minutes) Will Smith stars as the world’s only superhero. Unfortunately, his random acts of heroism, resulting in lots of collateral damage, mean he’s extremely unpopular. Drunk, bitter and mostly invulnerable, our hero tries to turn his life around after saving a public relations man (Jason Bateman) with a plan. Action, drama and a little comedy combine in this rather original take on comic book mythology. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Happening (R, 91 minutes) For better or worse, M. Night Shyamalan (The Village, Lady in the Water and, so long ago, The Sixth Sense) is back with an R-rated environmental horror film. Mark Wahlberg is the head of a family who tries to survive a bizarre global crisis, which has all of humanity going nuts and committing mass suicide. At least the script is more of a straightforward thriller, far less twisty than Shyamalan’s gimmicky previous works. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Incredible Hulk (PG-13, 114 minutes) Forget that last angst-filled Ang Lee outing. The green goliath gets a reboot with lots more action and Edward Norton in the lead role. This version combines the original comic book with the old TV series, casting Dr. Banner as a wandering outcast hunted by the government—that is until they need him to help rid New York City of mad Russian mercenary-turned-monster The Abomination (Tim Roth, another fine casting choice). Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13, 120 minutes) It’s been a few years since the last adventure—for us as well as for Indy. It’s now the ’50s and our aging adventurer is called upon to engage in one last globe-hopping trek. Teaming up with a James Dean wannabe (Shia LaBeouf) and his ex-girlfriend Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy travels to South America to foil an evil Soviet plot. Seems the Russkies are trying to get their hands on a mysterious collection of ancient crystal skulls that might (possibly, maybe, who knows?) hold proof of extraterrestrial life. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Iron Man (PG-13, 126 minutes) Marvel Comics brings another superhero to life. Robert Downey Jr. headlines as billionaire playboy Tony Stark, a military industrialist who is kidnapped by Middle Eastern terrorists and forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident. Escaping his captors, he decides to use this new technology to fight evil as the invincible Iron Man. Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges help round out the cast. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (G, 91 minutes) The much-beloved history-centric doll line comes to life on the big screen, no doubt enchanting thousands of doll-mad 9-year-old girls. Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) is our gal Kit, a plucky pre-teen living in her parents’ rooming house in Depression-era Cincinatti. Apparently, there’s a murder mystery. And a bunch of guest stars (Joan Cusack, Julia Ormond, Chris O’Donnell, Stanley Tucci, Jane Krakowski). Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Kung Fu Panda (PG, 91 minutes) Jack Black provides the voice for a CGI panda whose lazy ways must be reformed when his peaceful valley is invaded by the forces of evil. To help fulfill his destiny, our chubby, reluctant hero is trained by a group of animalistic martial arts masters (among them: Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu and Dustin Hoffman). Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Love Guru (PG-13, 88 minutes) Mike Myers returns with a new character, a kooky American raised in India who returns to the United States to break into the lucritive self-help business. His first challenge is to settle the romantic troubles of a star hockey player and his estranged wife. … Um, didn’t Homer do the same thing on “The Simpsons” a few years back? Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Mamma Mia! (PG-13, 108 minutes) On a cute Greek island where she runs a little hotel, a single mom (Meryl Streep) prepares to give her daughter (Amanda Seyfried) away to marriage. Wedding guests include mom’s former bandmates (Julie Walters and Christine Baranski) and the three men who might be her daughter’s dad (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgaard). Romantic mayhem and many ABBA songs ensue. Opening Friday

Meet Dave (PG, 90 minutes) Dave is a weird guy. Maybe it’s because he’s not a guy, but a man-sized (and man-shaped) spaceship piloted by a crew of miniature aliens who have been sent to Earth to study the human race. Eddie Murphy plays both the ship and it’s tiny captain, who threatens to sideline the mission by falling in love with a human (Elizabeth Banks). Opening Friday

Mongol (R, 120 minutes) From Kazakhstan comes this Academy Award-nominated epic recounting the early life of Mongolian prince Temudjin (Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano), who grew up to be a guy named Genghis Khan. The film moves at a sometimes rapid pace, hop-scotching almost 30 years in just over two hours. But this is no dry history lesson. With its revenge-fueled storyline, exotic setting and blood-spewing battle scenes, this rousing biopic plays like Lawrence of Arabia crossed with Conan the Barbarian. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Sex and the City (R, 135 minutes) Four years after the popular TV series went off the air, “Sex and the City” returns as a feature film. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon are all back dressing in outrageous outfits and discussing their sex lives over cocktails. How did we ever get along without this? Seriously, this one’s for fans only. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Space Chimps (G, 81 minutes) At least you know from its title what this movie is about. Chimpanzee astronauts, including one descended from the original chimp on whom outer space was first tested, travel through a black hole to a planet whose despotic leader they’ve been ordered to oust. The cast includes Andy Samberg, Jeff Daniels, Stanley Tucci, Cheryl Hines and cartoon voice-over maestro Patrick Warburton. Opening Friday

The Strangers (R, 107 minutes) Milking the phoney “based on a true story” line for the umpteenth time in horror movie history, newby writer/director Bryan Bertino presents an atmosphere-soaked thriller about a couple (Scott Speedman, Liv Tyler) staying at an isolated vacation home who are terrorized by three random, mask-wearing assailants. This one’s all slow-building tension, so don’t go expecting a whole lot of plot. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

WALL-E (G, 97 minutes) Animation giant Pixar returns with another sure-fire winner. This one’s a sci-fi tale set in the far future. Seems mankind has squandered the Earth’s resources with its rabid consumer addictions. The big blue marble has been abandoned as a junkheap to be tended over by a handful of waste allocation robots (among them, our titular hero). One day, after hundreds of years on the job, WALL-E meets a sleek robot named EVE and goes on a quest across the galaxy to find her–and unwittingly save Earth in the process. The animation is incredible, and damn if that boxy little robot isn’t the cutest thing ever. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Wanted (R, 108 minutes) Mark Millar & J.G. Jones’ hit comic book series gets (loosely) adapted to the big screen. James McAvoy (Atonement) stars as an apathetic office drone who finds he’s the heir to a secret society of super-powered assassins whose mission it is to shape the fate of the world by shooting a whole lot of people. Wisely or unwisely, the film dumps the costumed superhero angle of the book. Still, the cast (including Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and Terence Stamp) is impressive and the action propulsive. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

What Happens in Vegas (PG-13, 99 minutes) Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher play a couple of Sin City revelers who wake up after a night of debauchery to find out they took part in a drunken marriage ceremony. A quickie divorce is in the offing—that is, until the newlyweds discover that they also won a fortune playing a slot machine. Naturally, they do their utmost to make each other’s life hell in order to get their hands on that money. Naturally, they find time to fall in love over the course of the film. Screenwriter Dana Fox adds a touch of War of the Roses to her previous rom-com The Wedding Date and calls it a day. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (PG-13, 113 minutes) Adam Sandler is a deadly Israeli Mossad agent who fakes his own death so he can re-emerge in New York City and live out his dream of becoming the world’s greatest hair stylist. Ooooh-kay. Bottom line: You’d better love Adam Sandler movies (goofy voices, sappy love stories, stupid Rob Schneider cameos and all) to put this one on your list. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Movies playing in town

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG, 140 minutes) The Pevensie kids return to the magical land of Narnia, only to find that 1,000 years have passed since their last visit, leaving Narnia a far different place than it was before. Wouldn’t you know it, an evil general has taken over the land and it’s up to our pubescent crew to restore the true heir, tousle-haired hunk Prince Caspian (Stardust’s Ben Barnes), to the throne. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R, 111 minutes) Up-and-comer Jason Segel (Knocked Up, “How I Met Your Mother”) pens and stars in this latest anti-romantic comedy addition to the increasingly large Judd Apatow canon. Segel plays a sad sack musician whose TV star girlfriend (TV star Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. In an attempt to get over it, he jets off to a resort in Hawaii, only to run smack dab into the ex and her new, clueless rock star boyfriend. There’s a fair amount of raunch here, but a decent amount of sentiment as well, placing it well above Drillbit Taylor, but slightly below Superbad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Get Smart (PG-13, 110 minutes) The old TV show remakes just keep coming. Here, Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway take over as Maxwell Smart and Agent 99, one bumbling, one sexy secret agent who must join forces to stop the evil organization KAOS from destroying the world. The film does have fun resurrecting a lot of the original jokes and props–although how many people actually remember them is a legitimate question. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6Hancock (PG-13, 92 minutes) Will Smith stars as the world’s only superhero. Unfortunately, his random acts of heroism, resulting in lots of collateral damage, mean he’s extremely unpopular. Drunk, bitter and mostly invulnerable, our hero tries to turn his life around after saving a public relations man (Jason Bateman) with a plan. Action, drama and a little comedy combine in this rather original take on comic book mythology. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4The Happening (R, 91 minutes) For better or worse, M. Night Shyamalan (The Village, Lady in the Water and, so long ago, The Sixth Sense) is back with an R-rated environmental horror film. Mark Wahlberg is the head of a family who tries to survive a bizarre global crisis, which has all of humanity going nuts and committing mass suicide. At least the script is more of a straightforward thriller, far less twisty than Shyamalan’s gimmicky previous works. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (PG-13, runtime TBA) Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and his evil-smashing cohorts are back. This time, the mythical world of elves and fairies is considering a rebellion against humanity in a bid to rule the Earth. Guess it’s up to one reformed demon, a pyrokinetic and a fishman to save the day. Thankfully, writer/director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) is back in charge of this fantasy-heavy comic book adaptation. Opening Friday

The Incredible Hulk (PG-13, 114 minutes) Forget that last angst-filled Ang Lee outing. The green goliath gets a reboot with lots more action and Edward Norton in the lead role. This version combines the original comic book with the old TV series, casting Dr. Banner as a wandering outcast hunted by the government—that is until they need him to help rid New York City of mad Russian mercenary-turned-monster The Abomination (Tim Roth, another fine casting choice). Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13, 120 minutes) It’s been a few years since the last adventure—for us as well as for Indy. It’s now the ’50s and our aging adventurer is called upon to engage in one last globe-hopping trek. Teaming up with a James Dean wannabe (Shia LaBeouf) and his ex-girlfriend Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy travels to South America to foil an evil Soviet plot. Seems the Russkies are trying to get their hands on a mysterious collection of ancient crystal skulls that might (possibly, maybe, who knows?) hold proof of extraterrestrial life. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Iron Man (PG-13, 126 minutes) Marvel Comics brings another superhero to life. Robert Downey Jr. headlines as billionaire playboy Tony Stark, a military industrialist who is kidnapped by Middle Eastern terrorists and forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident. Escaping his captors, he decides to use this new technology to fight evil as the invincible Iron Man. Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges help round out the cast. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (G, 91 minutes) The much-beloved history-centric doll line comes to life on the big screen, no doubt enchanting thousands of doll-mad 9-year-old girls. Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) is our gal Kit, a plucky pre-teen living in her parents’ rooming house in Depression-era Cincinatti. Apparently, there’s a murder mystery. And a bunch of guest stars (Joan Cusack, Julia Ormond, Chris O’Donnell, Stanley Tucci, Jane Krakowski). Playing at Carmike Cinema 6Kung Fu Panda (PG) Jack Black provides the voice for a CGI panda whose lazy ways must be reformed when his peaceful valley is invaded by the forces of evil. To help fulfill his destiny, our chubby, reluctant hero is trained by a group of animalistic martial arts masters (among them: Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu and Dustin Hoffman). Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Love Guru (PG-13, 88 minutes) Mike Myers returns with a new character, a kooky American raised in India who returns to the United States to break into the lucrative self-help business. His first challenge is to settle the romantic troubles of a star hockey player and his estranged wife. …Um, didn’t Homer do the same thing on “The Simpsons” a few years back? Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Meet Dave (PG, 90 minutes) Dave is a weird guy. Maybe it’s because he’s not a guy, but a man-sized (and man-shaped) spaceship piloted by a crew of miniature aliens who have been sent to Earth to study the human race. Eddie Murphy plays both the ship and it’s tiny captain, who threatens to sideline the mission by falling in love with a human (Elizabeth Banks). Opening Friday

Mongol (R, 120 minutes) From Kazakhstan comes this Academy Award-nominated epic recounting the early life of Mongolian prince Temudjin (Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano), who grew up to be a guy named Genghis Khan. The film moves at a sometimes rapid pace, hop-scotching almost 30 years in just over two hours. But this is no dry history lesson. With its revenge-fueled storyline, exotic setting and blood-spewing battle scenes, this rousing biopic plays like Lawrence of Arabia crossed with Conan the Barbarian. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Sex and the City (R, 135 minutes) Four years after the popular TV series went off the air, “Sex and the City” returns as a feature film. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon are all back dressing in outrageous outfits and discussing their sex lives over cocktails. How did we ever get along without this? Seriously, this one’s for fans only. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Strangers (R, 107 minutes) Milking the phoney “based on a true story” line for the umpteenth time in horror movie history, newby writer/director Bryan Bertino presents an atmosphere-soaked thriller about a couple (Scott Speedman, Liv Tyler) staying at an isolated vacation home who are terrorized by three random, mask-wearing assailants. This one’s all slow-building tension, so don’t go expecting a whole lot of plot. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Wanted (R, 110 minutes) Mark Millar & J.G. Jones’ hit comic book series gets (loosely) adapted to the big screen. James McAvoy (Atonement) stars as an apathetic office drone who finds he’s the heir to a secret society of super-powered assassins whose mission it is to shape the fate of the world by shooting a whole lot of people. Wisely or unwisely, the film dumps the costumed superhero angle of the book. Still, the cast (including Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and Terence Stamp) is impressive and the action propulsive. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6What Happens in Vegas (PG-13, 99 minutes) Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher play a couple of Sin City revelers who wake up after a night of debauchery to find out they took part in a drunken marriage ceremony. A quickie divorce is in the offing—that is until the newlyweds discover that they also won a fortune playing a slot machine. Naturally, they do their utmost to make each other’s life hell in order to get their hands on that money. Naturally, they find time to fall in love over the course of the film. Screenwriter Dana Fox adds a touch of War of the Roses to her previous rom-com The Wedding Date and calls it a day. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (PG-13) Adam Sandler is a deadly Israeli Mossad agent who fakes his own death so he can re-emerge in New York City and live out his dream of becoming the world’s greatest hair stylist. Ooooh-kay. Bottom line: You’d better love Adam Sandler movies (goofy voices, sappy love stories, stupid Rob Schneider cameos and all) to put this one on your list. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Movies playing in town

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG, 140 minutes) The Pevensie kids return to the magical land of Narnia, only to find that 1,000 years have passed since their last visit, leaving Narnia a far different place than it was before. Wouldn’t you know it, an evil general has taken over the land and it’s up to our pubescent crew to restore the true heir, tousle-haired hunk Prince Caspian (Stardust’s Ben Barnes), to the throne. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R, 111 minutes) Up-and-comer Jason Segel (Knocked Up, “How I Met Your Mother”) pens and stars in this latest anti-romantic comedy addition to the increasingly large Judd Apatow canon. Segel plays a sad sack musician whose TV star girlfriend (TV star Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. In an attempt to get over it, he jets off to a resort in Hawaii, only to run smack dab into the ex and her new, clueless rock star boyfriend. There’s a fair amount of raunch here, but a decent amount of sentiment as well, placing it well above Drillbit Taylor, but slightly below Superbad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Get Smart (PG-13, 110 minutes) Playing at Carmike Cinema 6Hancock (PG-13, 92 minutes) Will Smith stars as the world’s only superhero. Unfortunately, his random acts of heroism, resulting in lots of collateral damage, mean he’s extremely unpopular. Drunk, bitter and mostly invulnerable, our hero tries to turn his life around after saving a public relations man (Jason Bateman) with a plan. Action, drama and a little comedy combine in this rather original take on comic book mythology. Opening FridayThe Happening (R, 91 minutes) For better or worse, M. Night Shyamalan (The Village, Lady in the Water and, so long ago, The Sixth Sense) is back with an R-rated environmental horror film. Mark Wahlberg is the head of a family who tries to survive a bizarre global crisis, which has all of humanity going nuts and committing mass suicide. At least the script is more of a straightforward thriller, far less twisty than Shyamalan’s gimmicky previous works. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Incredible Hulk (PG-13, 114 minutes) Forget that last angst-filled Ang Lee outing. The green goliath gets a reboot with lots more action and Edward Norton in the lead role. This version combines the original comic book with the old TV series, casting Dr. Banner as a wandering outcast hunted by the government—that is until they need him to help rid New York City of mad Russian mercenary-turned-monster The Abomination (Tim Roth, another fine casting choice). Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13, 120 minutes) It’s been a few years since the last adventure—for us as well as for Indy. It’s now the ’50s and our aging adventurer is called upon to engage in one last globe-hopping trek. Teaming up with a James Dean wannabe (Shia LaBeouf) and his ex-girlfriend Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy travels to South America to foil an evil Soviet plot. Seems the Russkies are trying to get their hands on a mysterious collection of ancient crystal skulls that might (possibly, maybe, who knows?) hold proof of extraterrestrial life. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Iron Man (PG-13, 126 minutes) Marvel Comics brings another superhero to life. Robert Downey Jr. headlines as billionaire playboy Tony Stark, a military industrialist who is kidnapped by Middle Eastern terrorists and forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident. Escaping his captors, he decides to use this new technology to fight evil as the invincible Iron Man. Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges help round out the cast. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (G, 91 minutes) The much-beloved history-centric doll line comes to life on the big screen, no doubt enchanting thousands of doll-mad 9-year-old girls. Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) is our gal Kit, a plucky pre-teen living in her parents’ rooming house in Depression-era Cincinatti. Apparently, there’s a murder mystery. And a bunch of guest stars (Joan Cusack, Julia Ormond, Chris O’Donnell, Stanley Tucci, Jane Krakowski). Opening FridayKung Fu Panda (PG) Jack Black provides the voice for a CGI panda whose lazy ways must be reformed when his peaceful valley is invaded by the forces of evil. To help fulfill his destiny, our chubby, reluctant hero is trained by a group of animalistic martial arts masters (among them: Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu and Dustin Hoffman). Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Love Guru (PG-13, 88 minutes) Mike Myers returns with a new character, a kooky American raised in India who returns to the United States to break into the lucrative self-help business. His first challenge is to settle the romantic troubles of a star hockey player and his estranged wife. …Um, didn’t Homer do the same thing on “The Simpsons” a few years back? Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Priceless (PG-13, 104 minutes) Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Sex and the City (R, 135 minutes) Four years after the popular TV series went off the air, “Sex and the City” returns as a feature film. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon are all back dressing in outrageous outfits and discussing their sex lives over cocktails. How did we ever get along without this? Seriously, this one’s for fans only. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Strangers (R, 107 minutes) Milking the phoney “based on a true story” line for the umpteenth time in horror movie history, newby writer/director Bryan Bertino presents an atmosphere-soaked thriller about a couple (Scott Speedman, Liv Tyler) staying at an isolated vacation home who are terrorized by three random, mask-wearing assailants. This one’s all slow-building tension, so don’t go expecting a whole lot of plot. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Wanted (R, 110 minutes) Reviewed here. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6What Happens in Vegas (PG-13, 99 minutes) Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher play a couple of Sin City revelers who wake up after a night of debauchery to find out they took part in a drunken marriage ceremony. A quickie divorce is in the offing–that is until the newlyweds discover that they also won a fortune playing a slot machine. Naturally, they do their utmost to make each other’s life hell in order to get their hands on that money. Naturally, they find time to fall in love over the course of the film. Screenwriter Dana Fox adds a touch of War of the Roses to her previous rom-com The Wedding Date and calls it a day. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (PG-13) Adam Sandler is a deadly Israeli Mossad agent who fakes his own death so he can re-emerge in New York City and live out his dream of becoming the world’s greatest hair stylist. Ooooh-kay. Bottom line: You’d better love Adam Sandler movies (goofy voices, sappy love stories, stupid Rob Schneider cameos and all) to put this one on your list. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Young@Heart (PG, 107 minutes) With a repertoire of cover tunes borrowed from the likes of The Ramones, Talking Heads, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, David Bowie, OutKast and others, it’s strange that a chorus comprising senior citizens could ever be mustered to sing them. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Movies playing in town

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG, 140 minutes) The Pevensie kids return to the magical land of Narnia, only to find that 1,000 years have passed since their last visit, leaving Narnia a far different place than it was before. Wouldn’t you know it, an evil general has taken over the land and it’s up to our pubescent crew to restore the true heir, tousle-haired hunk Prince Caspian (Stardust’s Ben Barnes), to the throne. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R, 111 minutes) Up-and-comer Jason Segel (Knocked Up, “How I Met Your Mother”) pens and stars in this latest anti-romantic comedy addition to the increasingly large Judd Apatow canon. Segel plays a sad sack musician whose TV star girlfriend (TV star Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. In an attempt to get over it, he jets off to a resort in Hawaii, only to run smack dab into the ex and her new, clueless rock star boyfriend. There’s a fair amount of raunch here, but a decent amount of sentiment as well, placing it well above Drillbit Taylor, but slightly below Superbad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Happening (R, 91 minutes) For better or worse, M. Night Shyamalan (The Village, Lady in the Water and, so long ago, The Sixth Sense) is back with an R-rated environmental horror film. Mark Wahlberg is the head of a family who tries to survive a bizarre global crisis, which has all of humanity going nuts and committing mass suicide. At least the script is more of a straightforward thriller, far less twisty than Shyamalan’s gimmicky previous works. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Incredible Hulk (PG-13, 114 minutes) Hulk Forget that last angst-filled Ang Lee outing. The green goliath gets a reboot with lots more action and Edward Norton in the lead role. This version combines the original comic book with the old TV series, casting Dr. Banner as a wandering outcast hunted by the government—that is until they need him to help rid New York City of mad Russian mercenary-turned-monster The Abomination (Tim Roth, another fine casting choice). Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13, 120 minutes) It’s been a few years since the last adventure—for us as well as for Indy. It’s now the ’50s and our aging adventurer is called upon to engage in one last globe-hopping trek. Teaming up with a James Dean wannabe (Shia LaBeouf) and his ex-girlfriend Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy travels to South America to foil an evil Soviet plot. Seems the Russkies are trying to get their hands on a mysterious collection of ancient crystal skulls that might (possibly, maybe, who knows?) hold proof of extraterrestrial life. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Iron Man (PG-13, 126 minutes) Marvel Comics brings another superhero to life. Robert Downey Jr. headlines as billionaire playboy Tony Stark, a military industrialist who is kidnapped by Middle Eastern terrorists and forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident. Escaping his captors, he decides to use this new technology to fight evil as the invincible Iron Man. Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges help round out the cast. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Kung Fu Panda (PG) Jack Black provides the voice for a CGI panda whose lazy ways must be reformed when his peaceful valley is invaded by the forces of evil. To help fulfill his destiny, our chubby, reluctant hero is trained by a group of animalistic martial arts masters (among them: Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu and Dustin Hoffman). Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Love Guru (PG-13, 88 minutes) Mike Myers returns with a new character, a kooky American raised in India who returns to the United States to break into the lucrative self-help business. His first challenge is to settle the romantic troubles of a star hockey player and his estranged wife. …Um, didn’t Homer do the same thing on “The Simpsons” a few years back? Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Priceless (PG-13, 104 minutes) Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Sex and the City (R, 135 minutes) Four years after the popular TV series went off the air, “Sex and the City” returns as a feature film. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon are all back dressing in outrageous outfits and discussing their sex lives over cocktails. How did we ever get along without this? Seriously, this one’s for fans only. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Strangers (R, 107 minutes) Milking the phoney “based on a true story” line for the umpteenth time in horror movie history, newby writer/director Bryan Bertino presents an atmosphere-soaked thriller about a couple (Scott Speedman, Liv Tyler) staying at an isolated vacation home who are terrorized by three random, mask-wearing assailants. This one’s all slow-building tension, so don’t go expecting a whole lot of plot. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

What Happens in Vegas (PG-13, 99 minutes) Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher play a couple of Sin City revelers who wake up after a night of debauchery to find out they took part in a drunken marriage ceremony. A quickie divorce is in the offing–that is until the newlyweds discover that they also won a fortune playing a slot machine. Naturally, they do their utmost to make each other’s life hell in order to get their hands on that money. Naturally, they find time to fall in love over the course of the film. Screenwriter Dana Fox adds a touch of War of the Roses to her previous rom-com The Wedding Date and calls it a day. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (PG-13) Adam Sandler is a deadly Israeli Mossad agent who fakes his own death so he can re-emerge in New York City and live out his dream of becoming the world’s greatest hair stylist. Ooooh-kay. Bottom line: You’d better love Adam Sandler movies (goofy voices, sappy love stories, stupid Rob Schneider cameos and all) to put this one on your list. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Young@Heart (PG, 107 minutes) With a repertoire of cover tunes borrowed from the likes of The Ramones, Talking Heads, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, David Bowie, OutKast and others, it’s strange that a chorus comprising senior citizens could ever be mustered to sing them. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Movies playing in town

Baby Mama (PG-13, 96 minutes) Tina Fey (“Saturday Night Live”) goes for big screen fame, starring as a workaholic single businesswoman who decides it’s time to have it all and spawn a kid. Sadly, her uterus isn’t in on the plan, and she’s forced to hire a surrogate mother in the form of white trash breeder Amy Poehler (also of “SNL”). Cross-cultural hijinks ensue. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG, 140 minutes) The Pevensie kids return to the magical land of Narnia, only to find that 1,000 years have passed since their last visit, leaving Narnia a far different place than it was before. Wouldn’t you know it, an evil general has taken over the land and it’s up to our pubescent crew to restore the true heir, tousle-haired hunk Prince Caspian (Stardust’s Ben Barnes), to the throne. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R, 111 minutes) Up-and-comer Jason Segel (Knocked Up, “How I Met Your Mother”) pens and stars in this latest anti-romantic comedy addition to the increasingly large Judd Apatow canon. Segel plays a sad sack musician whose TV star girlfriend (TV star Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. In an attempt to get over it, he jets off to a resort in Hawaii, only to run smack dab into the ex and her new, clueless rock star boyfriend. There’s a fair amount of raunch here, but a decent amount of sentiment as well, placing it well above Drillbit Taylor, but slightly below Superbad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Happening (R, 91 minutes) For better or worse, M. Night Shyamalan (The Village, Lady in the Water and, so long ago, The Sixth Sense) is back with an R-rated environmental horror film. Mark Wahlberg is the head of a family who tries to survive a bizarre global crisis, which has all of humanity going nuts and committing mass suicide. At least the script is more of a straightforward thriller, far less twisty than Shyamalan’s gimmicky previous works. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13, 120 minutes) It’s been a few years since the last adventure—for us as well as for Indy. It’s now the ’50s and our aging adventurer is called upon to engage in one last globe-hopping trek. Teaming up with a James Dean wannabe (Shia LaBeouf) and his ex-girlfriend Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy travels to South America to foil an evil Soviet plot. Seems the Russkies are trying to get their hands on a mysterious collection of ancient crystal skulls that might (possibly, maybe, who knows?) hold proof of extraterrestrial life. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Iron Man (PG-13, 126 minutes) Marvel Comics brings another superhero to life. Robert Downey Jr. headlines as billionaire playboy Tony Stark, a military industrialist who is kidnapped by Middle Eastern terrorists and forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident. Escaping his captors, he decides to use this new technology to fight evil as the invincible Iron Man. Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges help round out the cast. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Kung Fu Panda (PG) Jack Black provides the voice for a CGI panda whose lazy ways must be reformed when his peaceful valley is invaded by the forces of evil. To help fulfill his destiny, our chubby, reluctant hero is trained by a group of animalistic martial arts masters (among them: Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu and Dustin Hoffman). Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Love Guru (PG-13, 88 minutes) Mike Myers returns with a new character, a kooky American raised in India who returns to the United States to break into the lucrative self-help business. His first challenge is to settle the romantic troubles of a star hockey player and his estranged wife. … Um, didn’t Homer do the same thing on “The Simpsons” a few years back? Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Made of Honor (PG-13, 101 minutes) Patrick Dempsey (Dr. McDreamy himself) headlines this unapologetically chick-flicky rom-com. He plays Tom, a serial dater who decides one day that he’s in love with his best friend, marriage-minded Hannah (Michelle Monaghan). Unfortunately, she chooses that moment to announce that she’s engaged to some Scottish chap and wants Tom to act as her maid of honor. He accepts, with the hope that he can break up the wedding before it happens. Original? No. Fun? Maybe, if you’ve never seen When Harry Met Sally… Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Sex and the City (R, 135 minutes) Four years after the popular TV series went off the air, “Sex and the City” returns as a feature film. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon are all back dressing in outrageous outfits and discussing their sex lives over cocktails. How did we ever get along without this? Seriously, this one’s for fans only. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Son of Rambow (PG-13, 96 minutes) This nostalgic British import coasts fairly far on charm. It spins the early-’80s-set tall tale of two small-town schoolboys—one a naive lad raised by a fundamentalist mother, the other a rambunctious latchkey kid—who are united by their mad obsession with a pirated VHS copy of Rambo: First Blood. So enamored are these boys with the art of filmmaking that they attempt to shoot their own no-budget, two-man sequel. The character drama is undercooked, but the movie-loving in-jokes are a lark. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Strangers (R, 107 minutes) Milking the phoney “based on a true story” line for the umpteenth time in horror movie history, newby writer/director Bryan Bertino presents an atmosphere-soaked thriller about a couple (Scott Speedman, Liv Tyler) staying at an isolated vacation home who are terrorized by three random, mask-wearing assailants. This one’s all slow-building tension, so don’t go expecting a whole lot of plot. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Then She Found Me (R, 100 minutes) Actress Helen Hunt directs this dramedy about a New York schoolteacher (Hunt) who hits a midlife crisis when her husband leaves her, her adoptive mother dies and her biological mom pops up out of the blue. This old-fashioned indie “women’s pic” ocassionally teeters between realistic and drab, but Bette Midler enlivens things quite a bit as Hunt’s real mother, an outspoken TV talk show host. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

What Happens in Vegas (PG-13, 99 minutes) Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher play a couple of Sin City revelers who wake up after a night of debauchery to find out they took part in a drunken marriage ceremony. A quickie divorce is in the offing–that is until the newlyweds discover that they also won a fortune playing a slot machine. Naturally, they do their utmost to make each other’s life hell in order to get their hands on that money. Naturally, they find time to fall in love over the course of the film. Screenwriter Dana Fox adds a touch of War of the Roses to her previous rom-com The Wedding Date and calls it a day. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (PG-13) Adam Sandler is a deadly Israeli Mossad agent who fakes his own death so he can re-emerge in New York City and live out his dream of becoming the world’s greatest hair stylist. Ooooh-kay. Bottom line: You’d better love Adam Sandler movies (goofy voices, sappy love stories, stupid Rob Schneider cameos and all) to put this one on your list. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Young@Heart (PG, 107 minutes) With a repertoire of cover tunes borrowed from the likes of The Ramones, Talking Heads, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, David Bowie, OutKast and others, it’s strange that a chorus comprising senior citizens could ever be mustered to sing them. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Movies playing in town

Baby Mama (PG-13, 96 minutes) Tina Fey (“Saturday Night Live”) goes for big screen fame, starring as a workaholic single businesswoman who decides it’s time to have it all and spawn a kid. Sadly, her uterus isn’t in on the plan, and she’s forced to hire a surrogate mother in the form of white trash breeder Amy Poehler (also of “SNL”). Cross-cultural hijinks ensue. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG, 140 minutes) The Pevensie kids return to the magical land of Narnia, only to find that 1,000 years have passed since their last visit, leaving Narnia a far different place than it was before. Wouldn’t you know it, an evil general has taken over the land and it’s up to our pubescent crew to restore the true heir, tousle-haired hunk Prince Caspian (Stardust’s Ben Barnes), to the throne. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R, 111 minutes) Up-and-comer Jason Segel (Knocked Up, “How I Met Your Mother”) pens and stars in this latest anti-romantic comedy addition to the increasingly large Judd Apatow canon. Segel plays a sad sack musician whose TV star girlfriend (TV star Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. In an attempt to get over it, he jets off to a resort in Hawaii, only to run smack dab into the ex and her new, clueless rock star boyfriend. There’s a fair amount of raunch here, but a decent amount of sentiment as well, placing it well above Drillbit Taylor, but slightly below Superbad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Happening (R, 91 minutes) For better or worse, M. Night Shyamalan (The Village, Lady in the Water and, so long ago, The Sixth Sense) is back with an R-rated environmental horror film. Mark Wahlberg is the head of a family who tries to survive a bizarre global crisis, which has all of humanity going nuts and committing mass suicide. At least the script is more of a straightforward thriller, far less twisty than Shyamalan’s gimmicky previous works. Opening Friday

The Incredible Hulk (PG-13, 114 minutes) Forget that last angst-filled Ang Lee outing. The green goliath gets a reboot with lots more action and Edward Norton in the lead role. This version combines the original comic book with the old TV series, casting Dr. Banner as a wandering outcast hunted by the government—that is, until they need him to help rid New York City of mad Russian mercenary-turned-monster The Abomination (Tim Roth, another fine casting choice). Opening Friday

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13, 120 minutes) It’s been a few years since the last adventure—for us as well as for Indy. It’s now the ’50s and our aging adventurer is called upon to engage in one last globe-hopping trek. Teaming up with a James Dean wannabe (Shia LaBeouf) and his ex-girlfriend Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy travels to South America to foil an evil Soviet plot. Seems the Russkies are trying to get their hands on a mysterious collection of ancient crystal skulls that might (possibly, maybe, who knows?) hold proof of extraterrestrial life. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Iron Man (PG-13, 126 minutes) Marvel Comics brings another superhero to life. Robert Downey Jr. headlines as billionaire playboy Tony Stark, a military industrialist who is kidnapped by Middle Eastern terrorists and forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident. Escaping his captors, he decides to use this new technology to fight evil as the invincible Iron Man. Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges help round out the cast. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Kung Fu Panda (PG) Jack Black provides the voice for a CGI panda whose lazy ways must be reformed when his peaceful valley is invaded by the forces of evil. To help fulfill his destiny, our chubby, reluctant hero is trained by a group of animalistic martial arts masters (among them: Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu and Dustin Hoffman). Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Made of Honor (PG-13, 101 minutes) Patrick Dempsey (Dr. McDreamy himself) headlines this unapologetically chick-flicky rom-com. He plays Tom, a serial dater who decides one day that he’s in love with his best friend, marriage-minded Hannah (Michelle Monaghan). Unfortunately, she chooses that moment to announce that she’s engaged to some Scottish chap and wants Tom to act as her maid of honor. He accepts, with the hope that he can break up the wedding before it happens. Original? No. Fun? Maybe, if you’ve never seen When Harry Met Sally… Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Sex and the City (R, 135 minutes) Four years after the popular TV series went off the air, “Sex and the City” returns as a feature film. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon are all back dressing in outrageous outfits and discussing their sex lives over cocktails. How did we ever get along without this? Seriously, this one’s for fans only. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Speed Racer (PG, 129 minutes) The Wachowski brothers throw every visual trick in the book into this live-action adaptation of the classic Japanese cartoon. The result is a 10,000 RPM action movie that’s somehow more cartoony than an actual cartoon. Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) is our boy Speed, a futuristic race car driver who dreams of winning the legendary cross-country rally that claimed the life of his older brother. John Goodman and Susan Sarandon are along for the ride as Mom and Pops Racer, and Christina Ricci offers support as Speed’s loyal g.f. Trixie. It’s probably too over-the-top for many audiences, but—if you can get into the proper 8-year-old mindset—this is pure techno-bliss.. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Strangers (R, 107 minutes) Milking the phoney “based on a true story” line for the umpteenth time in horror movie history, newby writer/director Bryan Bertino presents an atmosphere-soaked thriller about a couple (Scott Speedman, Liv Tyler) staying at an isolated vacation home who are terrorized by three random, mask-wearing assailants. This one’s all slow-building tension, so don’t go expecting a whole lot of plot. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Then She Found Me (R, 100 minutes) Actress Helen Hunt directs this dramedy about a New York schoolteacher (Hunt) who hits a midlife crisis when her husband leaves her, her adoptive mother dies and her biological mom pops up out of the blue. This old-fashioned indie “women’s pic” ocassionally teeters between realistic and drab, but Bette Midler enlivens things quite a bit as Hunt’s real mother, an outspoken TV talk show host. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

What Happens in Vegas (PG-13, 99 minutes) Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher play a couple of Sin City revelers who wake up after a night of debauchery to find out they took part in a drunken marriage ceremony. A quickie divorce is in the offing–that is until the newlyweds discover that they also won a fortune playing a slot machine. Naturally, they do their utmost to make each other’s life hell in order to get their hands on that money. Naturally, they find time to fall in love over the course of the film. Screenwriter Dana Fox adds a touch of War of the Roses to her previous rom-com The Wedding Date and calls it a day. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (PG-13) Adam Sandler is a deadly Israeli Mossad agent who fakes his own death so he can re-emerge in New York City and live out his dream of becoming the world’s greatest hair stylist. Ooooh-kay. Bottom line: You’d better love Adam Sandler movies (goofy voices, sappy love stories, stupid Rob Schneider cameos and all) to put this one on your list. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Young@Heart (PG, 107 minutes) With a repertoire of cover tunes borrowed from the likes of The Ramones, Talking Heads, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, David Bowie, OutKast and others, it’s strange that a chorus comprising senior citizens could ever be mustered to sing them. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Movies playing in town

Baby Mama (PG-13, 96 minutes) Tina Fey (“Saturday Night Live”) goes for big screen fame, starring as a workaholic single businesswoman who decides it’s time to have it all and spawn a kid. Sadly, her uterus isn’t in on the plan, and she’s forced to hire a surrogate mother in the form of white trash breeder Amy Poehler (also of “SNL”). Cross-cultural hijinks ensue. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG, 140 minutes) The Pevensie kids return to the magical land of Narnia, only to find that 1,000 years have passed since their last visit, leaving Narnia a far different place than it was before. Wouldn’t you know it, an evil general has taken over the land and it’s up to our pubescent crew to restore the true heir, tousle-haired hunk Prince Caspian (Stardust’s Ben Barnes), to the throne. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R, 111 minutes) Up-and-comer Jason Segel (Knocked Up, “How I Met Your Mother”) pens and stars in this latest anti-romantic comedy addition to the increasingly large Judd Apatow canon. Segel plays a sad sack musician whose TV star girlfriend (TV star Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. In an attempt to get over it, he jets off to a resort in Hawaii, only to run smack dab into the ex and her new, clueless rock star boyfriend. There’s a fair amount of raunch here, but a decent amount of sentiment as well, placing it well above Drillbit Taylor, but slightly below Superbad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13, 120 minutes) It’s been a few years since the last adventure—for us as well as for Indy. It’s now the ’50s and our aging adventurer is called upon to engage in one last globe-hopping trek. Teaming up with a James Dean wannabe (Shia LaBeouf) and his ex-girlfriend Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy travels to South America to foil an evil Soviet plot. Seems the Russkies are trying to get their hands on a mysterious collection of ancient crystal skulls that might (possibly, maybe, who knows?) hold proof of extraterrestrial life. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Iron Man (PG-13, 126 minutes) Marvel Comics brings another superhero to life. Robert Downey Jr. headlines as billionaire playboy Tony Stark, a military industrialist who is kidnapped by Middle Eastern terrorists and forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident. Escaping his captors, he decides to use this new technology to fight evil as the invincible Iron Man. Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges help round out the cast. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Kung Fu Panda (PG) Jack Black provides the voice for a CGI panda whose lazy ways must be reformed when his peaceful valley is invaded by the forces of evil. To help fulfill his destiny, our chubby, reluctant hero is trained by a group of animalistic martial arts masters (among them: Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu and Dustin Hoffman). Opening Friday

Made of Honor (PG-13, 101 minutes) Patrick Dempsey (Dr. McDreamy himself) headlines this unapologetically chick-flicky rom-com. He plays Tom, a serial dater who decides one day that he’s in love with his best friend, marriage-minded Hannah (Michelle Monaghan). Unfortunately, she chooses that moment to announce that she’s engaged to some Scottish chap and wants Tom to act as her maid of honor. He accepts, with the hope that he can break up the wedding before it happens. Original? No. Fun? Maybe, if you’ve never seen When Harry Met Sally… Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Sex and the City (R, 135 minutes) Four years after the popular TV series went off the air, “Sex and the City” returns as a feature film. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon are all back dressing in outrageous outfits and discussing their sex lives over cocktails. How did we ever get along without this? Seriously, this one’s for fans only. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Speed Racer (PG, 129 minutes) The Wachowski brothers throw every visual trick in the book into this live-action adaptation of the classic Japanese cartoon. The result is a 10,000 RPM action movie that’s somehow more cartoony than an actual cartoon. Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) is our boy Speed, a futuristic race car driver who dreams of winning the legendary cross-country rally that claimed the life of his older brother. John Goodman and Susan Sarandon are along for the ride as Mom and Pops Racer, and Christina Ricci offers support as Speed’s loyal g.f. Trixie. It’s probably too over-the-top for many audiences, but—if you can get into the proper 8-year-old mindset—this is pure techno-bliss.. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

What Happens in Vegas (PG-13, 99 minutes) Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher play a couple of Sin City revelers who wake up after a night of debauchery to find out they took part in a drunken marriage ceremony. A quickie divorce is in the offing–that is until the newlyweds discover that they also won a fortune playing a slot machine. Naturally, they do their utmost to make each other’s life hell in order to get their hands on that money. Naturally, they find time to fall in love over the course of the film. Screenwriter Dana Fox adds a touch of War of the Roses to her previous rom-com The Wedding Date and calls it a day. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (PG-13) Adam Sandler is a deadly Israeli Mossad agent who fakes his own death so he can re-emerge in New York City and live out his dream of becoming the world’s greatest hair stylist. Ooooh-kay. Bottom line: You’d better love Adam Sandler movies (goofy voices, sappy love stories, stupid Rob Schneider cameos and all) to put this one on your list. Opening Friday

Young@Heart (PG, 107 minutes) With a repertoire of cover tunes borrowed from the likes of The Ramones, Talking Heads, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, David Bowie, OutKast and others, it’s strange that a chorus comprising senior citizens could ever be mustered to sing them. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town21 (PG-13, 123 minutes) Inspired by the book Bringing Down the House, this fact-based (let’s not go all the way to “true”) story introduces us to hotshot young M.I.T. student Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe). Our boy Ben’s a math wizard, but he’s too poor to afford tuition. Enter evil genius professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), who recruits Ben and a group of other students to become professional blackjack cheats in Las Vegas. Together, they rake in millions of dollars before the inevitable greed tears down their plans like a house of … something flimsy and paper-like in substance. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Baby Mama (PG-13, 96 minutes) Tina Fey (“Saturday Night Live”) goes for big screen fame, starring as a workaholic single businesswoman who decides it’s time to have it all and spawn a kid. Sadly, her uterus isn’t in on the plan, and she’s forced to hire a surrogate mother in the form of white trash breeder Amy Poehler (also of “SNL”). Cross-cultural hijinks ensue. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG, 140 minutes) The Pevensie kids return to the magical land of Narnia, only to find that 1,000 years have passed since their last visit, leaving Narnia a far different place than it was before. Wouldn’t you know it, an evil general has taken over the land and it’s up to our pubescent crew to restore the true heir, tousle-haired hunk Prince Caspian (Stardust’s Ben Barnes), to the throne. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Forbidden Kingdom (PG-13, 113 minutes) It’s exciting to see Jackie Chan and Jet Li teamed up on screen for the very first time in this umpteenth retelling of the Monkey King legend (a.k.a. Journey to the West). But it’s a little disconcerting to see American director Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, Disney’s Haunted Mansion) behind the camera and virtual unknown Michael Angarano (“Will & Grace”) front and center as a kung fu-obsessed teen who gets sucked back into ancient China after buying bootleg DVDs in Chinatown. That’s almost the exact same plot as the crummy TV mini-series “The Lost Empire” starring that dude from “Dharma & Greg. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R, 111 minutes) Up-and-comer Jason Segel (Knocked Up, “How I Met Your Mother”) pens and stars in this latest anti-romantic comedy addition to the increasingly large Judd Apatow canon. Segel plays a sad sack musician whose TV star girlfriend (TV star Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. In an attempt to get over it, he jets off to a resort in Hawaii, only to run smack dab into the ex and her new, clueless rock star boyfriend. There’s a fair amount of raunch here, but a decent amount of sentiment as well, placing it well above Drillbit Taylor, but slightly below Superbad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13, 120 minutes) Reviewed here. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Iron Man (PG-13, 126 minutes) Marvel Comics brings another superhero to life. Robert Downey Jr. headlines as billionaire playboy Tony Stark, a military industrialist who is kidnapped by Middle Eastern terrorists and forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident. Escaping his captors, he decides to use this new technology to fight evil as the invincible Iron Man. Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges help round out the cast. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Made of Honor (PG-13, 101 minutes) Patrick Dempsey (Dr. McDreamy himself) headlines this unapologetically chick-flicky rom-com. He plays Tom, a serial dater who decides one day that he’s in love with his best friend, marriage-minded Hannah (Michelle Monaghan). Unfortunately, she chooses that moment to announce that she’s engaged to some Scottish chap and wants Tom to act as her maid of honor. He accepts, with the hope that he can break up the wedding before it happens. Original? No. Fun? Maybe, if you’ve never seen When Harry Met Sally… Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Rape of Europa (117 minutes) This mesmerizing documentary traces not just Adolf Hitler’s plan to steal and/or destroy Europe’s great works of art, but also chronicles the efforts of a brave few who actually risked life and limb to save paintings, sculptures and more during the dark days of World War II. A moving tribute to the enduring power of art. Regal Downtown Mall 6

Sex and the City (R, 135 minutes) Four years after the popular TV series went off the air, “Sex and the City” returns as a feature film. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon are all back dressing in outrageous outfits and discussing their sex lives over cocktails. How did we ever get along without this? Seriously, this one’s for fans only. Opening Friday

Speed Racer (PG, 129 minutes) The Wachowski brothers throw every visual trick in the book into this live-action adaptation of the classic Japanese cartoon. The result is a 10,000 RPM action movie that’s somehow more cartoony than an actual cartoon. Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) is our boy Speed, a futuristic race car driver who dreams of winning the legendary cross-country rally that claimed the life of his older brother. John Goodman and Susan Sarandon are along for the ride as Mom and Pops Racer, and Christina Ricci offers support as Speed’s loyal g.f. Trixie. It’s probably too over-the-top for many audiences, but—if you can get into the proper 8-year-old mindset—this is pure techno-bliss.. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Strangers (R, 107 minutes) Milking the phoney “based on a true story” line for the umpteenth time in horror movie history, newby writer/director Bryan Bertino presents an atmosphere-soaked thriller about a couple (Scott Speedman, Liv Tyler) staying at an isolated vacation home who are terrorized by three random, mask-wearing assailants. This one’s all slow-building tension, so don’t go expecting a whole lot of plot. Opening Friday

The Visitor (PG-13, 108 minutes) A college professor (character actor Richard Jenkins from “Six Feet Under”) travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his part-time apartment. Instead of booting them, the prof befriends the young Arab drummer and his African girlfriend, adding a little color to his drab, middle-aged life. In only his second film, writer/director Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent) contributes another exquisite, low-key, naturalistic character study. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

What Happens in Vegas (PG-13, 99 minutes) Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher play a couple of Sin City revelers who wake up after a night of debauchery to find out they took part in a drunken marriage ceremony. A quickie divorce is in the offing–that is until the newlyweds discover that they also won a fortune playing a slot machine. Naturally, they do their utmost to make each other’s life hell in order to get their hands on that money. Naturally, they find time to fall in love over the course of the film. Screenwriter Dana Fox adds a touch of War of the Roses to her previous rom-com The Wedding Date and calls it a day. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Young@Heart (PG, 107 minutes) With a repertoire of cover tunes borrowed from the likes of The Ramones, Talking Heads, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, David Bowie, OutKast and others, it’s strange that a chorus comprising senior citizens could ever be mustered to sing them. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town21 (PG-13, 123 minutes) Inspired by the book Bringing Down the House, this fact-based (let’s not go all the way to “true”) story introduces us to hotshot young M.I.T. student Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe). Our boy Ben’s a math wizard, but he’s too poor to afford tuition. Enter evil genius professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), who recruits Ben and a group of other students to become professional blackjack cheats in Las Vegas. Together, they rake in millions of dollars before the inevitable greed tears down their plans like a house of … something flimsy and paper-like in substance. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Baby Mama (PG-13, 96 minutes) Tina Fey (“Saturday Night Live”) goes for big screen fame, starring as a workaholic single businesswoman who decides it’s time to have it all and spawn a kid. Sadly, her uterus isn’t in on the plan, and she’s forced to hire a surrogate mother in the form of white trash breeder Amy Poehler (also of “SNL”). Cross-cultural hijinks ensue. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG, 140 minutes) The Pevensie kids return to the magical land of Narnia, only to find that 1,000 years have passed since their last visit, leaving Narnia a far different place than it was before. Wouldn’t you know it, an evil general has taken over the land and it’s up to our pubescent crew to restore the true heir, tousle-haired hunk Prince Caspian (Stardust’s Ben Barnes), to the throne. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (G, 88 minutes) Wacky Jim Carrey proably isn’t the best choice to play Dr. Seuss’ timid, persecuted environmentalist Horton, but at least the CGI animation does its utmost to replicate the author/illustrator’s wild worlds. Scattered around this tale of a selfless elephant who tries to convince his jungle cohorts that a microscopic world needs his protection are vocal ringers like Steve Carrell, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, Dane Cook, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jamie Pressly and Seth Rogan. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Forbidden Kingdom (PG-13, 113 minutes) It’s exciting to see Jackie Chan and Jet Li teamed up on screen for the very first time in this umpteenth retelling of the Monkey King legend (a.k.a. Journey to the West). But it’s a little disconcerting to see American director Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, Disney’s Haunted Mansion) behind the camera and virtual unknown Michael Angarano (“Will & Grace”) front and center as a kung fu-obsessed teen who gets sucked back into ancient China after buying bootleg DVDs in Chinatown. That’s almost the exact same plot as the crummy TV mini-series “The Lost Empire” starring that dude from “Dharma & Greg. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R, 111 minutes) Up-and-comer Jason Segel (Knocked Up, “How I Met Your Mother”) pens and stars in this latest anti-romantic comedy addition to the increasingly large Judd Apatow canon. Segel plays a sad sack musician whose TV star girlfriend (TV star Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. In an attempt to get over it, he jets off to a resort in Hawaii, only to run smack dab into the ex and her new, clueless rock star boyfriend. There’s a fair amount of raunch here, but a decent amount of sentiment as well, placing it well above Drillbit Taylor, but slightly below Superbad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Harold and Kumer Escape from Guantanamo Bay (R, 102 minutes) OK, you’ve got to give John Cho and Kal Penn some credit. Instead of following up their hit comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle with something obvious like Harold & Kumar Go to Europe, they went out on a political limb sending the stoner duo to federal prison in Cuba. You’ll still need to appreciate a good bong joke to find the whole thing funny, but a little topicality never hurts. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13, 120 minutes) It’s been a few years since the last adventure—for us as well as for Indy. It’s now the ’50s and our aging adventurer is called upon to engage in one last globe-hopping trek. Teaming up with a James Dean wannabe (Shia LaBeouf) and his ex-girlfriend Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy travels to South America to foil an evil Soviet plot. Seems the Russkies are trying to get their hands on a mysterious collection of ancient crystal skulls that might (possibly, maybe, who knows?) hold proof of extraterrestrial life. Opening Friday

Iron Man (PG-13, 126 minutes) Marvel Comics brings another superhero to life. Robert Downey Jr. headlines as billionaire playboy Tony Stark, a military industrialist who is kidnapped by Middle Eastern terrorists and forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident. Escaping his captors, he decides to use this new technology to fight evil as the invincible Iron Man. Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges help round out the cast. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Made of Honor (PG-13, 101 minutes) Patrick Dempsey (Dr. McDreamy himself) headlines this unapologetically chick-flicky rom-com. He plays Tom, a serial dater who decides one day that he’s in love with his best friend, marriage-minded Hannah (Michelle Monaghan). Unfortunately, she chooses that moment to announce that she’s engaged to some Scottish chap and wants Tom to act as her maid of honor. He accepts, with the hope that he can break up the wedding before it happens. Original? No. Fun? Maybe, if you’ve never seen When Harry Met Sally… Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Redbelt (R, 99 minutes) Just what we need: another cheap action film to exploit the sudden popularity of mixed martial arts. But, wait a second! Was that David Mamet’s name on the credits? Redbelt is, to say the least, an unusual film to see written and directed by the man who gave us Glengarry Glen Ross, Vanya on 42nd Street and American Buffalo. Award-winning British actor Chiwitel Ejiofor (Dirty Pretty Things) headlines as a painfully noble instructor of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu forced into a big-money tournament to make ends meet. With this twisty, ultra-literate version of Rocky, Mamet may actually have succeeded in making an action film that’s too smart for its own good. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Speed Racer (PG, 129 minutes) The Wachowski brothers throw every visual trick in the book into this live-action adaptation of the classic Japanese cartoon. The result is a 10,000 RPM action movie that’s somehow more cartoony than an actual cartoon. Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) is our boy Speed, a futuristic race car driver who dreams of winning the legendary cross-country rally that claimed the life of his older brother. John Goodman and Susan Sarandon are along for the ride as Mom and Pops Racer, and Christina Ricci offers support as Speed’s loyal g.f. Trixie. It’s probably too over-the-top for many audiences, but—if you can get into the proper 8-year-old mindset—this is pure techno-bliss.. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Visitor (PG-13, 108 minutes) A college professor (character actor Richard Jenkins from “Six Feet Under”) travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his part-time apartment. Instead of booting them, the prof befriends the young Arab drummer and his African girlfriend, adding a little color to his drab, middle-aged life. In only his second film, writer/director Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent) contributes another exquisite, low-key, naturalistic character study. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

What Happens in Vegas (PG-13, 99 minutes) Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher play a couple of Sin City revelers who wake up after a night of debauchery to find out they took part in a drunken marriage ceremony. A quickie divorce is in the offing–that is until the newlyweds discover that they also won a fortune playing a slot machine. Naturally, they do their utmost to make each other’s life hell in order to get their hands on that money. Naturally, they find time to fall in love over the course of the film. Screenwriter Dana Fox adds a touch of War of the Roses to her previous rom-com The Wedding Date and calls it a day. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town21 (PG-13, 123 minutes) Inspired by the book Bringing Down the House, this fact-based (let’s not go all the way to “true”) story introduces us to hotshot young M.I.T. student Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe). Our boy Ben’s a math wizard, but he’s too poor to afford tuition. Enter evil genius professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), who recruits Ben and a group of other students to become professional blackjack cheats in Las Vegas. Together, they rake in millions of dollars before the inevitable greed tears down their plans like a house of … something flimsy and paper-like in substance. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

88 Minutes (R, 108 minutes) Al Pacino plays a college professor who is given 88 minutes to solve his own murder. That’s pretty much the same plot as the 1988 remake of D.O.A. with a tighter timeframe, but we’ll let it slide. This time. Apparently, our man Al’s testimony helped send a serial killer to death row. Now, it looks like the killer is getting his revenge, framing the professor for murder, ruining his reputation, killing him, stuff like that…or will there be some sort of crazy twist ending? Yeah, there’ll be some sort of crazy twist ending. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Baby Mama (PG-13, 96 minutes) Tina Fey (“Saturday Night Live”) goes for big screen fame, starring as a workaholic single businesswoman who decides it’s time to have it all and spawn a kid. Sadly, her uterus isn’t in on the plan, and she’s forced to hire a surrogate mother in the form of white trash breeder Amy Poehler (also of “SNL”). Cross-cultural hijinks ensue. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG, 140 minutes) The Pevensie kids return to the magical land of Narnia, only to find that 1,000 years have passed since their last visit, leaving Narnia a far different place than it was before. Wouldn’t you know it, an evil general has taken over the land and it’s up to our pubescent crew to restore the true heir, tousle-haired hunk Prince Caspian (Stardust’s Ben Barnes), to the throne. Opening Friday

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (G, 88 minutes) Wacky Jim Carrey proably isn’t the best choice to play Dr. Seuss’ timid, persecuted environmentalist Horton, but at least the CGI animation does its utmost to replicate the author/illustrator’s wild worlds. Scattered around this tale of a selfless elephant who tries to convince his jungle cohorts that a microscopic world needs his protection are vocal ringers like Steve Carrell, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, Dane Cook, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jamie Pressly and Seth Rogan. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Forbidden Kingdom (PG-13, 113 minutes) It’s exciting to see Jackie Chan and Jet Li teamed up on screen for the very first time in this umpteenth retelling of the Monkey King legend (a.k.a. Journey to the West). But it’s a little disconcerting to see American director Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, Disney’s Haunted Mansion) behind the camera and virtual unknown Michael Angarano (“Will & Grace”) front and center as a kung fu-obsessed teen who gets sucked back into ancient China after buying bootleg DVDs in Chinatown. That’s almost the exact same plot as the crummy TV mini-series “The Lost Empire” starring that dude from “Dharma & Greg. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R, 111 minutes) Up-and-comer Jason Segel (Knocked Up, “How I Met Your Mother”) pens and stars in this latest anti-romantic comedy addition to the increasingly large Judd Apatow canon. Segel plays a sad sack musician whose TV star girlfriend (TV star Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. In an attempt to get over it, he jets off to a resort in Hawaii, only to run smack dab into the ex and her new, clueless rock star boyfriend. There’s a fair amount of raunch here, but a decent amount of sentiment as well, placing it well above Drillbit Taylor, but slightly below Superbad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Harold and Kumer Escape from Guantanamo Bay (R, 102 minutes) OK, you’ve got to give John Cho and Kal Penn some credit. Instead of following up their hit comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle with something obvious like Harold & Kumar Go to Europe, they went out on a political limb sending the stoner duo to federal prison in Cuba. You’ll still need to appreciate a good bong joke to find the whole thing funny, but a little topicality never hurts. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Iron Man (PG-13, 126 minutes) Marvel Comics brings another superhero to life. Robert Downey Jr. headlines as billionaire playboy Tony Stark, a military industrialist who is kidnapped by Middle Eastern terrorists and forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident. Escaping his captors, he decides to use this new technology to fight evil as the invincible Iron Man. Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges help round out the cast. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Made of Honor (PG-13, 101 minutes) Patrick Dempsey (Dr. McDreamy himself) headlines this unapologetically chick-flicky rom-com. He plays Tom, a serial dater who decides one day that he’s in love with his best friend, marriage-minded Hannah (Michelle Monaghan). Unfortunately, she chooses that moment to announce that she’s engaged to some Scottish chap and wants Tom to act as her maid of honor. He accepts, with the hope that he can break up the wedding before it happens. Original? No. Fun? Maybe, if you’ve never seen When Harry Met Sally… Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Redbelt (R, 99 minutes) Just what we need: another cheap action film to exploit the sudden popularity of mixed martial arts. But, wait a second! Was that David Mamet’s name on the credits? Redbelt is, to say the least, an unusual film to see written and directed by the man who gave us Glengarry Glen Ross, Vanya on 42nd Street and American Buffalo. Award-winning British actor Chiwitel Ejiofor (Dirty Pretty Things) headlines as a painfully noble instructor of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu forced into a big-money tournament to make ends meet. With this twisty, ultra-literate version of Rocky, Mamet may actually have succeeded in making an action film that’s too smart for its own good. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Ruins (R, 97 minutes) Scott B. Smith’s icky horror novel makes it onto the big screen. In it, a group of friends embark on a leisurely Mexican holiday. While stepping off the beaten bath, the gang stumbles across an archeological dig in the remote jungle. There, they encounter an ancient and bloodthirsty evil lurking among the ruins. Young cast includes Jonathan Tucker (“The Black Donnellys”), Jena Malone (Donnie Darko) and Shawn Ashmore (X-Men: The Last Stand). Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Smart People (R, 93 minutes) In the dysfunctional family tradition of Dan in Real Life, Little Miss Sunshine, Pieces of April, The Squid and the Whale, etc., newbie filmmakers Mark Poirier (he wrote it) and Noam Murro (he directed it) assemble a talented cast and give them plenty of witty lines to chew over. Dennis Quaid is a widowed college professor who’s given up on life. At home, his daughter (Ellen Page from Juno) is an overachieving Young Republican, and his son is trying to avoid his crazy clan altogether. Into this mass of unresolved issues comes ne’er-do-well brother Thomas Hayden Church and possible love interest Sarah Jessica Parker. Predictable, but never wholly contrived, Smart People is a clever, gray-toned dramedy aimed at the same sort of grad-school audiences who chuckled and winced their way through Sideways. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Visitor (PG-13, 108 minutes) A college professor (character actor Richard Jenkins from “Six Feet Under”) travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his part-time apartment. Instead of booting them, the prof befriends the young Arab drummer and his African girlfriend, adding a little color to his drab, middle-aged life. In only his second film, writer/director Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent) contributes another exquisite, low-key, naturalistic character study. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

What Happens in Vegas (PG-13, 99 minutes) Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher play a couple of Sin City revelers who wake up after a night of debauchery to find out they took part in a drunken marriage ceremony. A quickie divorce is in the offing–that is until the newlyweds discover that they also won a fortune playing a slot machine. Naturally, they do their utmost to make each other’s life hell in order to get their hands on that money. Naturally, they find time to fall in love over the course of the film. Screenwriter Dana Fox adds a touch of War of the Roses to her previous rom-com The Wedding Date and calls it a day. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town21 (PG-13, 123 minutes) Inspired by the book Bringing Down the House, this fact-based (let’s not go all the way to “true”) story introduces us to hotshot young M.I.T. student Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe). Our boy Ben’s a math wizard, but he’s too poor to afford tuition. Enter evil genius professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), who recruits Ben and a group of other students to become professional blackjack cheats in Las Vegas. Together, they rake in millions of dollars before the inevitable greed tears down their plans like a house of … something flimsy and paper-like in substance. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

88 Minutes (R, 108 minutes) Al Pacino plays a college professor who is given 88 minutes to solve his own murder. That’s pretty much the same plot as the 1988 remake of D.O.A. with a tighter timeframe, but we’ll let it slide. This time. Apparently, our man Al’s testimony helped send a serial killer to death row. Now, it looks like the killer is getting his revenge, framing the professor for murder, ruining his reputation, killing him, stuff like that…or will there be some sort of crazy twist ending? Yeah, there’ll be some sort of crazy twist ending. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Baby Mama (PG-13, 96 minutes) Tina Fey (“Saturday Night Live”) goes for big screen fame, starring as a workaholic single businesswoman who decides it’s time to have it all and spawn a kid. Sadly, her uterus isn’t in on the plan, and she’s forced to hire a surrogate mother in the form of white trash breeder Amy Poehler (also of “SNL”). Cross-cultural hijinks ensue. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Caramel (PG, 95 minutes) This laidback romantic comedy peers into the lives of five Lebanese women living in Beirut. As in so many other films of this type (Beauty Shop, Beauty Academy of Kabul, Venus Beauty Institute), it’s a beauty parlor that provides the excuse for all and sundry to interact, socially speaking. The slice-of-life humor feels mighty familiar, making this a rather universal foreign film. In Arabic and French with English subtitles. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Deception (R, 108 minutes) A jaded New York accountant (Ewan McGregor) is introduced to a mysterious underground sex club by his lawyer pal (Hugh Jackman). Score! Unfortunately, he soon finds himself the prime suspect in a woman’s disappearance and a multi-million dollar heist. Just the thing for those who like their thrillers laced with eros. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (G, 88 minutes) Wacky Jim Carrey proably isn’t the best choice to play Dr. Seuss’ timid, persecuted environmentalist Horton, but at least the CGI animation does its utmost to replicate the author/illustrator’s wild worlds. Scattered around this tale of a selfless elephant who tries to convince his jungle cohorts that a microscopic world needs his protection are vocal ringers like Steve Carrell, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, Dane Cook, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jamie Pressly and Seth Rogan. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Forbidden Kingdom (PG-13, 113 minutes) It’s exciting to see Jackie Chan and Jet Li teamed up on screen for the very first time in this umpteenth retelling of the Monkey King legend (a.k.a. Journey to the West). But it’s a little disconcerting to see American director Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, Disney’s Haunted Mansion) behind the camera and virtual unknown Michael Angarano (“Will & Grace”) front and center as a kung fu-obsessed teen who gets sucked back into ancient China after buying bootleg DVDs in Chinatown. That’s almost the exact same plot as the crummy TV mini-series “The Lost Empire” starring that dude from “Dharma & Greg. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R, 111 minutes) Up-and-comer Jason Segel (Knocked Up, “How I Met Your Mother”) pens and stars in this latest anti-romantic comedy addition to the increasingly large Judd Apatow canon. Segel plays a sad sack musician whose TV star girlfriend (TV star Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. In an attempt to get over it, he jets off to a resort in Hawaii, only to run smack dab into the ex and her new, clueless rock star boyfriend. There’s a fair amount of raunch here, but a decent amount of sentiment as well, placing it well above Drillbit Taylor, but slightly below Superbad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Harold and Kumer Escape from Guantanamo Bay (R, 102 minutes) OK, you’ve got to give John Cho and Kal Penn some credit. Instead of following up their hit comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle with something obvious like Harold & Kumar Go to Europe, they went out on a political limb sending the stoner duo to federal prison in Cuba. You’ll still need to appreciate a good bong joke to find the whole thing funny, but a little topicality never hurts. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Leatherheads (PG-13, 114 minutes) George Clooney directs and stars in this period screwball comedy about the birth of professional football back in the ’30s. Clooney is Dodge Connelly, the powerhouse captain behind a struggling football team. Hoping to boost attendance, our gridiron great convinces a straight-laced college sensation (John Krasinski from “The Office”) to join the team. Unfortunately, the new kid falls for Dodge’s gal, a spunky cub reporter played by Renée Zellweger. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Made of Honor (PG-13, 101 minutes) Patrick Dempsey (Dr. McDreamy himself) headlines this unapologetically chick-flicky rom-com. He plays Tom, a serial dater who decides one day that he’s in love with his best friend, marriage-minded Hannah (Michelle Monaghan). Unfortunately, she chooses that moment to announce that she’s engaged to some Scottish chap and wants Tom to act as her maid of honor. He accepts, with the hope that he can break up the wedding before it happens. Original? No. Fun? Maybe, if you’ve never seen When Harry Met Sally… Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Nim’s Island (PG, 95 minutes) A young girl (Abigail Breslin) living on a tropical island with her scientist father (Gerard Butler) turns to Alex Rover, the star of her favorite Indiana Jones-ish book series, for help when dad suddenly goes missing. As it turns out, though, the books are actually authored by Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster), a reclusive, agoraphobic New York writer. Together, these two unlikely heroines join forces to search for dad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Prom Night (PG-13, 88 minutes) For anyone too young to actually remember the original slasher flick Prom Night (all the way back in 1980) comes this handy remake in kid-friendly PG-13 format. Borrowing the title setting and…nothing else, this limp teen thriller follows a high schooler (Brittany Snow, Hairspray) who’s being stalked by an obsessive ex-teacher. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Ruins (R, 97 minutes) Scott B. Smith’s icky horror novel makes it onto the big screen. In it, a group of friends embark on a leisurely Mexican holiday. While stepping off the beaten bath, the gang stumbles across an archeological dig in the remote jungle. There, they encounter an ancient and bloodthirsty evil lurking among the ruins. Young cast includes Jonathan Tucker (“The Black Donnellys”), Jena Malone (Donnie Darko) and Shawn Ashmore (X-Men: The Last Stand). Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Smart People (R, 93 minutes) In the dysfunctional family tradition of Dan in Real Life, Little Miss Sunshine, Pieces of April, The Squid and the Whale, etc., newbie filmmakers Mark Poirier (he wrote it) and Noam Murro (he directed it) assemble a talented cast and give them plenty of witty lines to chew over. Dennis Quaid is a widowed college professor who’s given up on life. At home, his daughter (Ellen Page from Juno) is an overachieving Young Republican, and his son is trying to avoid his crazy clan altogether. Into this mass of unresolved issues comes ne’er-do-well brother Thomas Hayden Church and possible love interest Sarah Jessica Parker. Predictable, but never wholly contrived, Smart People is a clever, gray-toned dramedy aimed at the same sort of grad-school audiences who chuckled and winced their way through Sideways. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Vantage Point (PG-13, 90 minutes) Taking its inpiration, as so many other films have, from Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, this political thriller presents a crime as seen from five different viewpoints. Seems that some terrorists (or are they?) have tried to assassinate the President of the United States (or have they?). A host of witnesses (or are they?), each present their own perspective on the crime, allowing us to see the damn thing again and again and again (and again and again). Starry cast includes Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt and Matthew Fox. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Visitor (PG-13, 108 minutes) A college professor (character actor Richard Jenkins from “Six Feet Under”) travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his part-time apartment. Instead of booting them, the prof befriends the young Arab drummer and his African girlfriend, adding a little color to his drab, middle-aged life. In only his second film, writer/director Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent) contributes another exquisite, low-key, naturalistic character study. Opening Friday at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town21 (PG-13, 123 minutes) Inspired by the book Bringing Down the House, this fact-based (let’s not go all the way to “true”) story introduces us to hotshot young M.I.T. student Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe). Our boy Ben’s a math wizard, but he’s too poor to afford tuition. Enter evil genius professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), who recruits Ben and a group of other students to become professional blackjack cheats in Las Vegas. Together, they rake in millions of dollars before the inevitable greed tears down their plans like a house of … something flimsy and paper-like in substance. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

88 Minutes (R, 108 minutes) Al Pacino plays a college professor who is given 88 minutes to solve his own murder. That’s pretty much the same plot as the 1988 remake of D.O.A. with a tighter timeframe, but we’ll let it slide. This time. Apparently, our man Al’s testimony helped send a serial killer to death row. Now, it looks like the killer is getting his revenge, framing the professor for murder, ruining his reputation, killing him, stuff like that…or will there be some sort of crazy twist ending? Yeah, there’ll be some sort of crazy twist ending. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Caramel (PG, 95 minutes) This laidback romantic comedy peers into the lives of five Lebanese women living in Beirut. As in so many other films of this type (Beauty Shop, Beauty Academy of Kabul, Venus Beauty Institute), it’s a beauty parlor that provides the excuse for all and sundry to interact, socially speaking. The slice-of-life humor feels mighty familiar, making this a rather universal foreign film. In Arabic and French with English subtitles. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Deception (R, 108 minutes) A jaded New York accountant (Ewan McGregor) is introduced to a mysterious underground sex club by his lawyer pal (Hugh Jackman). Score! Unfortunately, he soon finds himself the prime suspect in a woman’s disappearance and a multi-million dollar heist. Just the thing for those who like their thrillers laced with eros. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (G, 88 minutes) Wacky Jim Carrey proably isn’t the best choice to play Dr. Seuss’ timid, persecuted environmentalist Horton, but at least the CGI animation does its utmost to replicate the author/illustrator’s wild worlds. Scattered around this tale of a selfless elephant who tries to convince his jungle cohorts that a microscopic world needs his protection are vocal ringers like Steve Carrell, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, Dane Cook, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jamie Pressly and Seth Rogan. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Forbidden Kingdom (PG-13, 113 minutes) It’s exciting to see Jackie Chan and Jet Li teamed up on screen for the very first time in this umpteenth retelling of the Monkey King legend (a.k.a. Journey to the West). But it’s a little disconcerting to see American director Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, Disney’s Haunted Mansion) behind the camera and virtual unknown Michael Angarano (“Will & Grace”) front and center as a kung fu-obsessed teen who gets sucked back into ancient China after buying bootleg DVDs in Chinatown. That’s almost the exact same plot as the crummy TV mini-series “The Lost Empire” starring that dude from “Dharma & Greg. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R, 111 minutes) Up-and-comer Jason Segel (Knocked Up, “How I Met Your Mother”) pens and stars in this latest anti-romantic comedy addition to the increasingly large Judd Apatow canon. Segel plays a sad sack musician whose TV star girlfriend (TV star Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. In an attempt to get over it, he jets off to a resort in Hawaii, only to run smack dab into the ex and her new, clueless rock star boyfriend. There’s a fair amount of raunch here, but a decent amount of sentiment as well, placing it well above Drillbit Taylor, but slightly below Superbad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Harold and Kumer Escape from Guantanamo Bay (R, 102 minutes) OK, you’ve got to give John Cho and Kal Penn some credit. Instead of following up their hit comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle with something obvious like Harold & Kumar Go to Europe, they went out on a political limb sending the stoner duo to federal prison in Cuba. You’ll still need to appreciate a good bong joke to find the whole thing funny, but a little topicality never hurts. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Leatherheads (PG-13, 114 minutes) George Clooney directs and stars in this period screwball comedy about the birth of professional football back in the ’30s. Clooney is Dodge Connelly, the powerhouse captain behind a struggling football team. Hoping to boost attendance, our gridiron great convinces a straight-laced college sensation (John Krasinski from “The Office”) to join the team. Unfortunately, the new kid falls for Dodge’s gal, a spunky cub reporter played by Renée Zellweger. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG-13, 92 minutes) Amy Adams (Enchanted) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) star in this ’30s-set comedy/drama about a middle-aged London governess (McDormand) who finds herself unfairly dismissed and tries to land a job as a “social secretary” for a glamorous American actress (Adams). It’s all a whirl of cocktails parties and witty banter as our mousy heroine gets a rapid-fire makeover while Cole Porter tunes and air raid sirens fill up the soundtrack. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Nim’s Island (PG, 95 minutes) A young girl (Abigail Breslin) living on a tropical island with her scientist father (Gerard Butler) turns to Alex Rover, the star of her favorite Indiana Jones-ish book series, for help when dad suddenly goes missing. As it turns out, though, the books are actually authored by Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster), a reclusive, agoraphobic New York writer. Together, these two unlikely heroines join forces to search for dad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Prom Night (PG-13, 88 minutes) For anyone too young to actually remember the original slasher flick Prom Night (all the way back in 1980) comes this handy remake in kid-friendly PG-13 format. Borrowing the title setting and…nothing else, this limp teen thriller follows a high schooler (Brittany Snow, Hairspray) who’s being stalked by an obsessive ex-teacher. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Ruins (R, 97 minutes) Scott B. Smith’s icky horror novel makes it onto the big screen. In it, a group of friends embark on a leisurely Mexican holiday. While stepping off the beaten bath, the gang stumbles across an archeological dig in the remote jungle. There, they encounter an ancient and bloodthirsty evil lurking among the ruins. Young cast includes Jonathan Tucker (“The Black Donnellys”), Jena Malone (Donnie Darko) and Shawn Ashmore (X-Men: The Last Stand). Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Smart People (R, 93 minutes) In the dysfunctional family tradition of Dan in Real Life, Little Miss Sunshine, Pieces of April, The Squid and the Whale, etc., newbie filmmakers Mark Poirier (he wrote it) and Noam Murro (he directed it) assemble a talented cast and give them plenty of witty lines to chew over. Dennis Quaid is a widowed college professor who’s given up on life. At home, his daughter (Ellen Page from Juno) is an overachieving Young Republican, and his son is trying to avoid his crazy clan altogether. Into this mass of unresolved issues comes ne’er-do-well brother Thomas Hayden Church and possible love interest Sarah Jessica Parker. Predictable, but never wholly contrived, Smart People is a clever, gray-toned dramedy aimed at the same sort of grad-school audiences who chuckled and winced their way through Sideways. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Street Kings (R, 107 minutes) David Ayer, screenwriter of The Fast and The Furious and Training Day, tries his hand at directing, turning the writing duties over to neo-noir novelist James Ellroy (The Black Dahlia, L.A. Confidential). Keanu Reeves stars as a veteran LAPD officer implicated in the death of a fellow officer. Pitted against the tight-knit cop culture he’s known all his life, he suddenly starts to question the loyalties of those around him. Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans and rapper Common round out the cast. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Vantage Point (PG-13, 90 minutes) Taking its inpiration, as so many other films have, from Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, this political thriller presents a crime as seen from five different viewpoints. Seems that some terrorists (or are they?) have tried to assassinate the President of the United States (or have they?). A host of witnesses (or are they?), each present their own perspective on the crime, allowing us to see the damn thing again and again and again (and again and again). Starry cast includes Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt and Matthew Fox. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town21 (PG-13, 123 minutes) Inspired by the book Bringing Down the House, this fact-based (let’s not go all the way to “true”) story introduces us to hotshot young M.I.T. student Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe). Our boy Ben’s a math wizard, but he’s too poor to afford tuition. Enter evil genius professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), who recruits Ben and a group of other students to become professional blackjack cheats in Las Vegas. Together, they rake in millions of dollars before the inevitable greed tears down their plans like a house of … something flimsy and paper-like in substance. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

88 Minutes (R, 108 minutes) Al Pacino plays a college professor who is given 88 minutes to solve his own murder. That’s pretty much the same plot as the 1988 remake of D.O.A. with a tighter timeframe, but we’ll let it slide. This time. Apparently, our man Al’s testimony helped send a serial killer to death row. Now, it looks like the killer is getting his revenge, framing the professor for murder, ruining his reputation, killing him, stuff like that…or will there be some sort of crazy twist ending? Yeah, there’ll be some sort of crazy twist ending. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Baby Mama (PG-13, 96 minutes) Tina Fey (“Saturday Night Live”) goes for big screen fame, starring as a workaholic single businesswoman who decides it’s time to have it all and spawn off a kid. Sadly, her uterus isn’t in on the plan, and she’s forced to hire a surrogate mother in the form of white trash breeder Amy Poehler (also of “SNL”). Cross-cultural hijinks ensue. Opening Friday

The Counterfeiters (R, 98 minutes) The winner for “Best Foreign Film” at the Oscars, this fact-based crime drama intorduces us to a little-known scheme the Nazis dreamed up to counterfeit millions in foreign currency. Salomon Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics) is a con man and a Jew, doubly doomed to the concentration camps of World War II. But he finds odd, momentary salvation when the Nazis realize they need his unique talents as a counterfeiter. Writer/director Stefan Ruzowitzky could have injected a little more moral ambiguity into this intriguing tale, but he’s rescued largely by his fine leading man. In English, German, Russian and Hebrew with English subtitles. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Deception (R, 108 minutes) A jaded New York accountant (Ewan McGregor) is introduced to a mysterious underground sex club by his lawyer pal (Hugh Jackman). Score! Unfortunately, he soon finds himself the prime suspect in a woman’s disappearance and a multi-million dollar heist. Just the thing for those who like their thrillers laced with eros. Opening Friday

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (G, 88 minutes) Wacky Jim Carrey proably isn’t the best choice to play Dr. Seuss’ timid, persecuted environmentalist Horton, but at least the CGI animation does its utmost to replicate the author/illustrator’s wild worlds. Scattered around this tale of a selfless elephant who tries to convince his jungle cohorts that a microscopic world needs his protection are vocal ringers like Steve Carrell, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, Dane Cook, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jamie Pressly and Seth Rogan. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Forbidden Kingdom (PG-13, 113 minutes) It’s exciting to see Jackie Chan and Jet Li teamed up on screen for the very first time in this umpteenth retelling of the Monkey King legend (a.k.a. Journey to the West). But it’s a little disconcerting to see American director Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, Disney’s Haunted Mansion) behind the camera and virtual unknown Michael Angarano (“Will & Grace”) front and center as a kung fu-obsessed teen who gets sucked back into ancient China after buying bootleg DVDs in Chinatown. That’s almost the exact same plot as the crummy TV mini-series “The Lost Empire” starring that dude from “Dharma & Greg. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Harold and Kumer Escape from Guantanamo Bay (R, 102 minutes) OK, you’ve got to give John Cho and Kal Penn some credit. Instead of following up their hit comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle with something obvious like Harold & Kumar Go to Europe, they went out on a political limb sending the stoner duo to federal prison in Cuba. You’ll still need to appreciate a good bong joke to find the whole thing funny, but a little topicality never hurts. Opening Friday

Leatherheads (PG-13, 114 minutes) George Clooney directs and stars in this period screwball comedy about the birth of professional football back in the ’30s. Clooney is Dodge Connelly, the powerhouse captain behind a struggling football team. Hoping to boost attendance, our gridiron great convinces a straight-laced college sensation (John Krasinski from “The Office”) to join the team. Unfortunately, the new kid falls for Dodge’s gal, a spunky cub reporter played by Renée Zellweger. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG-13, 92 minutes) Amy Adams (Enchanted) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) star in this ’30s-set comedy/drama about a middle-aged London governess (McDormand) who finds herself unfairly dismissed and tries to land a job as a “social secretary” for a glamorous American actress (Adams). It’s all a whirl of cocktails parties and witty banter as our mousy heroine gets a rapid-fire makeover while Cole Porter tunes and air raid sirens fill up the soundtrack. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Nim’s Island (PG, 95 minutes) A young girl (Abigail Breslin) living on a tropical island with her scientist father (Gerard Butler) turns to Alex Rover, the star of her favorite Indiana Jones-ish book series, for help when dad suddenly goes missing. As it turns out, though, the books are actually authored by Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster), a reclusive, agoraphobic New York writer. Together, these two unlikely heroines join forces to search for dad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Prom Night (PG-13, 88 minutes) For anyone too young to actually remember the original slasher flick Prom Night (all the way back in 1980) comes this handy remake in kid-friendly PG-13 format. Borrowing the title setting and…nothing else, this limp teen thriller follows a high schooler (Brittany Snow, Hairspray) who’s being stalked by an obsessive ex-teacher. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Ruins (R, 97 minutes) Scott B. Smith’s icky horror novel makes it onto the big screen. In it, a group of friends embark on a leisurely Mexican holiday. While stepping off the beaten bath, the gang stumbles across an archeological dig in the remote jungle. There, they encounter an ancient and bloodthirsty evil lurking among the ruins. Young cast includes Jonathan Tucker (“The Black Donnellys”), Jena Malone (Donnie Darko) and Shawn Ashmore (X-Men: The Last Stand). Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Run, Fat Boy, Run (PG-13, 100 minutes) Comedians Simon Pegg and Michael Ian Black write the screenplay (sweet). David Schwimmer directs (shrug). Pegg (still hot off Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) stars as Dennis, a slightly overweight loser who ditched his pregnant fiancée (Thandie Newton) at the altar five years ago. He tries everything he can to win her back, but fails. When he finds out she’s about to marry a successful American (Hank Azaria), Dennis vows to get his life in order, starting by competing in the London Marathon. This is your basic, mainstream rom-com, but Pegg is deft at handling the slapstick stuff. Regal Downtown Mall 6

Shine a Light (PG-13) Martin Scorsese heads back to his musical documentary roots, first glimpsed in 1978’s The Last Waltz. This career-spanning look at the Rolling Stones features some historical clips, but mostly highlights concert footage from their recent “A Bigger Bang” tour. Jack White, Buddy Guy, Christina Aguilera and Bill Clinton drop by for cameos. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Smart People (R, 93 minutes) In the dysfunctional family tradition of Dan in Real Life, Little Miss Sunshine, Pieces of April, The Squid and the Whale, etc., newbie filmmakers Mark Poirier (he wrote it) and Noam Murro (he directed it) assemble a talented cast and give them plenty of witty lines to chew over. Dennis Quaid is a widowed college professor who’s given up on life. At home, his daughter (Ellen Page from Juno) is an overachieving Young Republican, and his son is trying to avoid his crazy clan altogether. Into this mass of unresolved issues comes ne’er-do-well brother Thomas Hayden Church and possible love interest Sarah Jessica Parker. Predictable, but never wholly contrived, Smart People is a clever, gray-toned dramedy aimed at the same sort of grad-school audiences who chuckled and winced their way through Sideways. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Street Kings (R, 107 minutes) David Ayer, screenwriter of The Fast and The Furious and Training Day, tries his hand at directing, turning the writing duties over to neo-noir novelist James Ellroy (The Black Dahlia, L.A. Confidential). Keanu Reeves stars as a veteran LAPD officer implicated in the death of a fellow officer. Pitted against the tight-knit cop culture he’s known all his life, he suddenly starts to question the loyalties of those around him. Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans and rapper Common round out the cast. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (PG-13, 100 minutes) It’s called a vacation, Tyler. You should look into it. Honestly, we can go six months without seeing another filmic translation of one of you slapstick church plays in which you dress up in drag and impart some quaint moral about family. In this one, Angela Bassett plays a single mom who goes to Georgia for the funeral of the father she never knew. There, she’s introduced to the crass, fun-loving Brown family. … If daily doses of “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” over on TBS ain’t doin’ it for you, this should tide you over until Perry’s next feature comes out six months from now. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Vantage Point (PG-13, 90 minutes) Taking its inpiration, as so many other films have, from Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, this political thriller presents a crime as seen from five different viewpoints. Seems that some terrorists (or are they?) have tried to assassinate the President of the United States (or have they?). A host of witnesses (or are they?), each present their own perspective on the crime, allowing us to see the damn thing again and again and again (and again and again). Starry cast includes Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt and Matthew Fox. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town88 Minutes (R, 108 minutes) Al Pacino plays a college professor who is given 88 minutes to solve his own murder. That’s pretty much the same plot as the 1988 remake of D.O.A. with a tighter timeframe, but we’ll let it slide. This time. Apparently, our man Al’s testimony helped send a serial killer to death row. Now, it looks like the killer is getting his revenge, framing the professor for murder, ruining his reputation, killing him, stuff like that…or will there be some sort of crazy twist ending? Yeah, there’ll be some sort of crazy twist ending. Opening Friday

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (G, 88 minutes) Wacky Jim Carrey proably isn’t the best choice to play Dr. Seuss’ timid, persecuted environmentalist Horton, but at least the CGI animation does its utmost to replicate the author/illustrator’s wild worlds. Scattered around this tale of a selfless elephant who tries to convince his jungle cohorts that a microscopic world needs his protection are vocal ringers like Steve Carrell, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, Dane Cook, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jamie Pressly and Seth Rogan. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Forbidden Kingdom (PG-13, 113 minutes) It’s exciting to see Jackie Chan and Jet Li teamed up on screen for the very first time in this umpteenth retelling of the Monkey King legend (a.k.a. Journey to the West). But it’s a little disconcerting to see American director Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, Disney’s Haunted Mansion) behind the camera and virtual unknown Michael Angarano (“Will & Grace”) front and center as a kung fu-obsessed teen who gets sucked back into ancient China after buying bootleg DVDs in Chinatown. That’s almost the exact same plot as the crummy TV mini-series “The Lost Empire” starring that dude from “Dharma & Greg.” Opening Friday

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R, 111 minutes) Up-and-comer Jason Segel (Knocked Up, “How I Met Your Mother”) pens and stars in this latest anti-romantic comedy addition to the increasingly large Judd Apatow canon. Segel plays a sad sack musician whose TV star girlfriend (TV star Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. In an attempt to get over it, he jets off to a resort in Hawaii, only to run smack dab into the ex and her new clueless rock star boyfriend. There’s a fair amount of raunch here, but a decent amount of sentiment as well, placing it well above Drillbit Taylor, but slightly below Superbad. Opening Friday

Leatherheads (PG-13, 114 minutes) George Clooney directs and stars in this period screwball comedy about the birth of professional football back in the ’30s. Clooney is Dodge Connelly, the powerhouse captain behind a struggling football team. Hoping to boost attendance, our gridiron great convinces a straight-laced college sensation (John Krasinski from “The Office”) to join the team. Unfortunately, the new kid falls for Dodge’s gal, a spunky cub reporter played by Renée Zellweger. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG-13, 92 minutes) Amy Adams (Enchanted) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) star in this ’30s-set comedy/drama about a middle-aged London governess (McDormand) who finds herself unfairly dismissed and tries to land a job as a “social secretary” for a glamorous American actress (Adams). It’s all a whirl of cocktails parties and witty banter as our mousy heroine gets a rapid-fire makeover while Cole Porter tunes and air raid sirens fill up the soundtrack. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Nim’s Island (PG, 95 minutes) A young girl (Abigail Breslin) living on a tropical island with her scientist father (Gerard Butler) turns to Alex Rover, the star of her favorite Indiana Jones-ish book series, for help when dad suddenly goes missing. As it turns out, though, the books are actually authored by Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster), a reclusive, agoraphobic New York writer. Together, these two unlikely heroines join forces to search for dad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Prom Night (PG-13, 88 minutes) For anyone too young to actually remember the original slasher flick Prom Night (all the way back in 1980) comes this handy remake in kid-friendly PG-13 format. Borrowing the title setting and…nothing else, this limp teen thriller follows a high schooler (Brittany Snow, Hairspray) who’s being stalked by an obsessive ex-teacher. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Run, Fat Boy, Run (PG-13, 100 minutes) Comedians Simon Pegg and Michael Ian Black write the screenplay (sweet). David Schwimmer directs (shrug). Pegg (still hot off Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) stars as Dennis, a slightly overweight loser who ditched his pregnant fiancée (Thandie Newton) at the altar five years ago. He tries everything he can to win her back, but fails. When he finds out she’s about to marry a successful American (Hank Azaria), Dennis vows to get his life in order, starting by competing in the London Marathon. This is your basic, mainstream rom-com, but Pegg is deft at handling the slapstick stuff. Regal Downtown Mall 6

Semi-Pro (R, 90 minutes) The star player/owner/coach of a third-rate ’70s basketball team (Will Ferrell) finds out his Michigan Topics have an outside shot at being folded into the NBA—if they can dramatically increase their attendance. With the help of his teammates (Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin), he stops at nothing to attract attention. Typical but likable retro silliness from Mr. Ferrell. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Shine a Light (PG-13) Martin Scorsese heads back to his musical documentary roots, first glimpsed in 1978’s The Last Waltz. This career-spanning look at the Rolling Stones features some historical clips, but mostly highlights concert footage from their recent “A Bigger Bang” tour. Jack White, Buddy Guy, Christina Aguilera and Bill Clinton drop by for cameos. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Smart People (R, 93 minutes) In the dysfunctional family tradition of Dan in Real Life, Little Miss Sunshine, Pieces of April, The Squid and the Whale, etc., newbie filmmakers Mark Poirier (he wrote it) and Noam Murro (he directed it) assemble a talented cast and give them plenty of witty lines to chew over. Dennis Quaid is a widowed college professor who’s given up on life. At home, his daughter (Ellen Page from Juno) is an overachieving Young Republican, and his son is trying to avoid his crazy clan altogether. Into this mass of unresolved issues comes ne’er-do-well brother Thomas Hayden Church and possible love interest Sarah Jessica Parker. Predictable, but never wholly contrived, Smart People is a clever, gray-toned dramedy aimed at the same sort of grad-school audiences who chuckled and winced their way through Sideways. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Stop-Loss (R) MTV Films thinks it’s found a way around the thorny issue of selling grim Iraq War movies to a disinterested public–simply fill the cast with hunky young actors. Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions), Channing Tatum (Step Up 2: The Streets), Rob Brown (Take the Lead) and Joseph Gordon-Levett (“3rd Rock From the Sun”) are among the teen-friendly stars trying to make this melodrama about Texas army men called back on yet another tour of duty look like an episode of “Friday Night Lights.” Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Street Kings (R, 107 minutes) David Ayer, screenwriter of The Fast and The Furious and Training Day, tries his hand at directing, turning the writing duties over to neo-noir novelist James Ellroy (The Black Dahlia, L.A. Confidential). Keanu Reeves stars as a veteran LAPD officer implicated in the death of a fellow officer. Pitted against the tight-knit cop culture he’s known all his life, he suddenly starts to question the loyalties of those around him. Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans and rapper Common round out the cast. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Superhero Movie (PG-13, 85 minutes) For those who have diligently watched Scary Movie, Date Movie and Epic Movie patiently waiting for he day filmmakers would get around to making Superhero Movie, your long wait has finally been rewarded. Here we have an extremely timely spoof of 2002’s Spider-Man in which a kid named Rick Riker (TV’s Drake Bell) is bitten by a radioactive dragonfly and becomes Dragonfly! Are you laughing yet? How about if I throw in a cameo by Pamela Anderson? She was hot in 1995. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (PG-13, 100 minutes) It’s called a vacation, Tyler. You should look into it. Honestly, we can go six months without seeing another filmic translation of one of you slapstick church plays in which you dress up in drag and impart some quaint moral about family. In this one, Angela Bassett plays a single mom who goes to Georgia for the funeral of the father she never knew. There, she’s introduced to the crass, fun-loving Brown family. … If daily doses of “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” over on TBS ain’t doin’ it for you, this should tide you over until Perry’s next feature comes out six months from now. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Vantage Point (PG-13, 90 minutes) Taking its inpiration, as so many other films have, from Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, this political thriller presents a crime as seen from five different viewpoints. Seems that some terrorists (or are they?) have tried to assassinate the President of the United States (or have they?). A host of witnesses (or are they?), each present their own perspective on the crime, allowing us to see the damn thing again and again and again (and again and again). Starry cast includes Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt and Matthew Fox. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town10,000 B.C. (PG-13, 109 minutes) Roland Emmerich (Stargate, Independence Day) directs this big-budget SPFX extravaganza. It’s, well, 10,000 B.C., and a hairy, mammoth-hunting hero (unknown Steven Strait) is prevailed upon to rescue his tribe from a civilization of pyramid-dwelling slavers. Omar Sharif is in there, doing his best prehistoric work since The 13th Warrior. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

21 (PG-13, 123 minutes) Inspired by the book Bringing Down the House, this fact-based (let’s not go all the way to “true”) story introduces us to hotshot young M.I.T. student Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe). Our boy Ben’s a math wizard, but he’s too poor to afford tuition. Enter evil genius professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), who recruits Ben and a group of other students to become professional blackjack cheats in Las Vegas. Together, they rake in millions of dollars before the inevitable greed tears down their plans like a house of…something flimsy and paper-like in substance. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Band’s Visit (PG-13, 89 minutes) A band made up of Egyptian police officers leave their country to play the inauguration ceremony at an Arab arts center. Serendipitously, the group gets lost in a tiny Israeli town, leading to lots of cross-cultural comedy and drama. In English, Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

The Bank Job (R, 110 minutes) Jason Statham (The Italian Job, The Transporter) is in familiar territory, starring in this early-’70s crime caper about a would-be bankrobber targeting a London bank stuffed full of cash and jewelry. Unbenownst to our protagonist and his crew, the bank’s safety deposit boxes are also packed with secrets revealing a web of corruption stretching from London’s criminal underworld to the highest echelons of the British government. The mechanics are awfuly familiar, but director Roger Donaldson (Cocktail, Species) keeps things lively. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (G, 88 minutes) Wacky Jim Carrey proably isn’t the best choice to play Dr. Seuss’ timid, persecuted environmentalist Horton, but at least the CGI animation does its utmost to replicate the author/illustrator’s wild worlds. Scattered around this tale of a selfless elephant who tries to convince his jungle cohorts that a microscopic world needs his protection are vocal ringers like Steve Carrell, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, Dane Cook, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jamie Pressly and Seth Rogan. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Drillbit Taylor (PG-13, 102 minutes) Tired of being pushed around junior high, a trio of nerds hires a low-budget bodyguard (Owen Wilson) with an inflated résumé to protect them from the playground bully. Another slightly rude comedy from the Jeff Apatow brigade. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Juno (PG-13, 91 minutes) A labor of love from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody (author of Candy Girl) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), this sweet, smart and very funny flick easily earns a spot as one of the best films of the year. Snarky, cynical 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) gets pregnant after a bout of boredom-induced sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera from Superbad). Ruling out abortion, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to “some lady with a bum ovary or a couple nice lesbos.” The pitch-perfect dialogue, the lo-fi soundtrack, the spectacular cast and the perceptive story make this the cult comedy to beat. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG-13, 92 minutes) Amy Adams (Enchanted) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) star in this ’30s-set comedy/drama about a middle-aged London governess (McDormand) who finds herself unfairly dismissed and tries to land a job as a “social secretary” for a glamorous American actress (Adams). It’s all a whirl of cocktails parties and witty banter as our mousy heroine gets a rapid-fire makeover while Cole Porter tunes and air raid sirens fill up the soundtrack. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Nim’s Island (PG, 95 minutes) A young girl (Abigail Breslin) living on a tropical island with her scientist father (Gerard Butler) turns to Alex Rover, the star of her favorite Indiana Jones-ish book series, for help when dad suddenly goes missing. As it turns out, though, the books are actually authored by Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster), a reclusive, agoraphobic New York writer. Together, these two unlikely heroines join forces to search for dad. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Other Boleyn Girl (PG-13, 115 minutes) Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson star in this glitzy adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel. The historical storyline finds siblings Anne and Mary competing for the affections of England’s King Henry VIII. As any halfway decent Anglophile knows, neither girl kept her head on her neck for very long—which is part of the film’s problem. It looks good, but it’s notably glum. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Prom Night (PG-13, 88 minutes) For anyone too young to actually remember the original slasher flick Prom Night (all the way back in 1980) comes this handy remake in kid-friendly PG-13 format. Borrowing the title setting and…nothing else, this limp teen thriller follows a high schooler (Brittany Snow, Hairspray) who’s being stalked by an obsessive ex-teacher. Opening Friday

Run, Fat Boy, Run (PG-13, 100 minutes) Comedians Simon Pegg and Michael Ian Black write the screenplay (sweet). David Schwimmer directs (shrug). Pegg (still hot off Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) stars as Dennis, a slightly overweight loser who ditched his pregnant fiancée (Thandie Newton) at the altar five years ago. He tries everything he can to win her back, but fails. When he finds out she’s about to marry a successful American (Hank Azaria), Dennis vows to get his life in order, starting by competing in the London Marathon. This is your basic, mainstream rom-com, but Pegg is deft at handling the slapstick stuff. Regal Downtown Mall 6

Semi-Pro (R, 90 minutes) The star player/owner/coach of a third-rate ’70s basketball team (Will Ferrell) finds out his Michigan Topics have an outside shot at being folded into the NBA—if they can dramatically increase their attendance. With the help of his teammates (Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin), he stops at nothing to attract attention. Typical but likable retro silliness from Mr. Ferrell. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Shine a Light (PG-13) Martin Scorsese heads back to his musical documentary roots, first glimpsed in 1978’s The Last Waltz. This career-spanning look at the Rolling Stones features some historical clips, but mostly highlights concert footage from their recent “A Bigger Bang” tour. Jack White, Buddy Guy, Christina Aguilera and Bill Clinton drop by for cameos. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Shutter (PG-13, 85 minutes) Honestly, the whole Asian ghost film thing is pretty played out at this point. At least this remake of a popular Thai film is directed by Masayuki Ochiai, who gave us semi-credible J-horror titles Parasite Eve, The Hypnotist and Infection. The atmospheric story revolves around a newly married couple (Joshua Jackson, Rachael Taylor) who discover ghostly images in photographs after a tragic accident. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Stop-Loss (R) MTV Films thinks it’s found a way around the thorny issue of selling grim Iraq War movies to a disinterested public–simply fill the cast with hunky young actors. Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions), Channing Tatum (Step Up 2: The Streets), Rob Brown (Take the Lead) and Joseph Gordon-Levett (“3rd Rock From the Sun”) are among the teen-friendly stars trying to make this melodrama about Texas army men called back on yet another tour of duty look like an episode of “Friday Night Lights.” Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Street Kings (R, 107 minutes) David Ayer, screenwriter of The Fast and The Furious and Training Day, tries his hand at directing, turning the writing duties over to neo-noir novelist James Ellroy (The Black Dahlia, L.A. Confidential). Keanu Reeves stars as a veteran LAPD officer implicated in the death of a fellow officer. Pitted against the tight-knit cop culture he’s known all his life, he suddenly starts to question the loyalties of those around him. Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans and rapper Common round out the cast. Opening Friday

Superhero Movie (PG-13, 85 minutes) For those who have diligently watched Scary Movie, Date Movie and Epic Movie patiently waiting for he day filmmakers would get around to making Superhero Movie, your long wait has finally been rewarded. Here we have an extremely timely spoof of 2002’s Spider-Man in which a kid named Rick Riker (TV’s Drake Bell) is bitten by a radioactive dragonfly and becomes Dragonfly! Are you laughing yet? How about if I throw in a cameo by Pamela Anderson? She was hot in 1995. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (PG-13, 100 minutes) It’s called a vacation, Tyler. You should look into it. Honestly, we can go six months without seeing another filmic translation of one of you slapstick church plays in which you dress up in drag and impart some quaint moral about family. In this one, Angela Bassett plays a single mom who goes to Georgia for the funeral of the father she never knew. There, she’s introduced to the crass, fun-loving Brown family. … If daily doses of “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” over on TBS ain’t doin’ it for you, this should tide you over until Perry’s next feature comes out six months from now. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Vantage Point (PG-13, 90 minutes) Taking its inpiration, as so many other films have, from Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, this political thriller presents a crime as seen from five different viewpoints. Seems that some terrorists (or are they?) have tried to assassinate the President of the United States (or have they?). A host of witnesses (or are they?), each present their own perspective on the crime, allowing us to see the damn thing again and again and again (and again and again). Starry cast includes Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt and Matthew Fox. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town10,000 B.C. (PG-13, 109 minutes) Roland Emmerich (Stargate, Independence Day) directs this big-budget SPFX extravaganza. It’s, well, 10,000 B.C., and a hairy, mammoth-hunting hero (unknown Steven Strait) is prevailed upon to rescue his tribe from a civilization of pyramid-dwelling slavers. Omar Sharif is in there, doing his best prehistoric work since The 13th Warrior. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Band’s Visit (PG-13, 89 minutes) A band made up of Egyptian police officers leave their country to play the inauguration ceremony at an Arab arts center. Serendipitously, the group gets lost in a tiny Israeli town, leading to lots of cross-cultural comedy and drama. In English, Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

The Bank Job (R, 110 minutes) Jason Statham (The Italian Job, The Transporter) is in familiar territory, starring in this early-’70s crime caper about a would-be bankrobber targeting a London bank stuffed full of cash and jewelry. Unbenownst to our protagonist and his crew, the bank’s safety deposit boxes are also packed with secrets revealing a web of corruption stretching from London’s criminal underworld to the highest echelons of the British government. The mechanics are awfuly familiar, but director Roger Donaldson (Cocktail, Species) keeps things lively. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Be Kind Rewind (PG-13, 101 minutes) With Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) at the helm, you know you’re in for a weird ride. Jack Black and Mos Def play a couple of video store employees who accidentally erase every videotape in the store. In order to retain the store’s one loyal customer, an elderly lady with a shaky grip on reality, they set out to recreate every film in stock, armed with only a cheap video camera. The result is a two-man tour-de-force, covering The Lion King, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Driving Miss Daisy, Robocop and more. Soon, the whole town is getting in on the filmmaking action. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (G, 88 minutes) Wacky Jim Carrey proably isn’t the best choice to play Dr. Seuss’ timid, persecuted environmentalist Horton, but at least the CGI animation does its utmost to replicate the author/illustrator’s wild worlds. Scattered around this tale of a selfless elephant who tries to convince his jungle cohorts that a microscopic world needs his protection are vocal ringers like Steve Carrell, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, Dane Cook, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jamie Pressly and Seth Rogan. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Drillbit Taylor (PG-13, 102 minutes) Tired of being pushed around junior high, a trio of nerds hires a low-budget bodyguard (Owen Wilson) with an inflated résumé to protect them from the playground bully. Another slightly rude comedy from the Jeff Apatow brigade. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Juno (PG-13, 91 minutes) A labor of love from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody (author of Candy Girl) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), this sweet, smart and very funny flick easily earns a spot as one of the best films of the year. Snarky, cynical 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) gets pregnant after a bout of boredom-induced sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera from Superbad). Ruling out abortion, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to “some lady with a bum ovary or a couple nice lesbos.” The pitch-perfect dialogue, the lo-fi soundtrack, the spectacular cast and the perceptive story make this the cult comedy to beat. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Leatherheads (PG-13, 114 minutes) George Clooney directs and stars in this period screwball comedy about the birth of professional football back in the 1930s. Clooney is Dodge Connelly, the powerhouse captain behind a struggling football team. Hoping to boost attendance, our gridiron great convinces a straight-laced college sensation (John Krasinski from “The Office”) to join the team. Unfortunately, the new kid falls for Dodge’s gal, a spunky cub reporter played by Renée Zellweger. Opening Friday

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG-13, 92 minutes) Amy Adams (Enchanted) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) star in this ’30s-set comedy/drama about a middle-aged London governess (McDormand) who finds herself unfairly dismissed and tries to land a job as a “social secretary” for a glamorous American actress (Adams). It’s all a whirl of cocktails parties and witty banter as our mousy heroine gets a rapid-fire makeover while Cole Porter tunes and air raid sirens fill up the soundtrack. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Nim’s Island (PG, 95 minutes) A young girl (Abigail Breslin) living on a tropical island with her scientist father (Gerard Butler) turns to Alex Rover, the star of her favorite Indiana Jones-ish book series, for help when dad suddenly goes missing. As it turns out, though, the books are actually authored by Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster), a reclusive, agoraphobic New York writer. Together, these two unlikely heroines join forces to search for dad. Opening Friday

The Other Boleyn Girl (PG-13, 115 minutes) Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson star in this glitzy adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel. The historical storyline finds siblings Anne and Mary competing for the affections of England’s King Henry VIII. As any halfway decent Anglophile knows, neither girl kept her head on her neck for very long—which is part of the film’s problem. It looks good, but it’s notably glum. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Ruins (R) Scott B. Smith’s icky horror novel makes it onto the big screen. A group of friends embark on a leisurely Mexican holiday and, while stepping off the beaten path, stumbles across an archeological dig in the remote jungle. There, they encounter an ancient and bloodthirsty evil lurking among the ruins. Young cast includes Jonathan Tucker (“The Black Donnellys”), Jena Malone (Donnie Darko) and Shawn Ashmore (X-Men: The Last Stand). Opening Friday

Run, Fat Boy, Run (PG-13, 100 minutes) Comedians Simon Pegg and Michael Ian Black write the screenplay (sweet). David Schwimmer directs (shrug). Pegg (still hot off Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) stars as Dennis, a slightly overweight loser who ditched his pregnant fiancée (Thandie Newton) at the altar five years ago. He tries everything he can to win her back, but fails. When he finds out she’s about to marry a successful American (Hank Azaria), Dennis vows to get his life in order, starting by competing in the London Marathon. This is your basic, mainstream rom-com, but Pegg is deft at handling the slapstick stuff. Regal Downtown Mall 6

Semi-Pro (R, 90 minutes) The star player/owner/coach of a third-rate ’70s basketball team (Will Ferrell) finds out his Michigan Topics have an outside shot at being folded into the NBA—if they can dramatically increase their attendance. With the help of his teammates (Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin), he stops at nothing to attract attention. Typical but likable retro silliness from Mr. Ferrell. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Shine a Light (PG-13) Martin Scorsese heads back to his musical documentary roots, first glimpsed in 1978’s The Last Waltz. This career-spanning look at the Rolling Stones features some historical clips, but mostly highlights concert footage from their recent “A Bigger Bang” tour. Jack White, Buddy Guy, Christina Aguilera and Bill Clinton drop by for cameos. Opening Friday

Shutter (PG-13, 85 minutes) Honestly, the whole Asian ghost film thing is pretty played out at this point. At least this remake of a popular Thai film is directed by Masayuki Ochiai, who gave us semi-credible J-horror titles Parasite Eve, The Hypnotist and Infection. The atmospheric story revolves around a newly married couple (Joshua Jackson, Rachael Taylor) who discover ghostly images in photographs after a tragic accident. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Spiderwick Chronicles (PG, 97 minutes) The popular young adult fantasy series comes to the big screen with hardly a whiff of Harry Potter about it. Three young children (including Freddie Highmore playing twins) move to a remote country mansion with their recently divorced mother (Mary Louise-Parker). There, they discover their great uncle’s legacy, a book detailing the lives of the fairies, goblins, brownies and other magical creatures that inhabit our world. Unfortunately, an evil goblin wants to get his hands on that book, forcing our young heroes to defend themselves. The cast is quite good (Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright and David Strathairn are among the adults), and the script (partially credited to John Sayles) is surprisingly mature. Way too scary for the little ones, though. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Stop-Loss (R) MTV Films thinks it’s found a way around the thorny issue of selling grim Iraq War movies to a disinterested public–simply fill the cast with hunky young actors. Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions), Channing Tatum (Step Up 2: The Streets), Rob Brown (Take the Lead) and Joseph Gordon-Levett (“3rd Rock From the Sun”) are among the teen-friendly stars trying to make this melodrama about Texas army men called back on yet another tour of duty look like an episode of “Friday Night Lights.” Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Superhero Movie (PG-13, 85 minutes) For those who have diligently watched Scary Movie, Date Movie and Epic Movie patiently waiting for he day filmmakers would get around to making Superhero Movie, your long wait has finally been rewarded. Here we have an extremely timely spoof of 2002’s Spider-Man in which a kid named Rick Riker (TV’s Drake Bell) is bitten by a radioactive dragonfly and becomes Dragonfly! Are you laughing yet? How about if I throw in a cameo by Pamela Anderson? She was hot in 1995. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (PG-13, 100 minutes) It’s called a vacation, Tyler. You should look into it. Honestly, we can go six months without seeing another filmic translation of one of you slapstick church plays in which you dress up in drag and impart some quaint moral about family. In this one, Angela Bassett plays a single mom who goes to Georgia for the funeral of the father she never knew. There, she’s introduced to the crass, fun-loving Brown family. … If daily doses of “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” over on TBS ain’t doin’ it for you, this should tide you over until Perry’s next feature comes out six months from now. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Vantage Point (PG-13, 90 minutes) Taking its inpiration, as so many other films have, from Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, this political thriller presents a crime as seen from five different viewpoints. Seems that some terrorists (or are they?) have tried to assassinate the President of the United States (or have they?). A host of witnesses (or are they?), each present their own perspective on the crime, allowing us to see the damn thing again and again and again (and again and again). Starry cast includes Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt and Matthew Fox. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Movies playing in town

10,000 B.C. (PG-13, 109 minutes) Roland Emmerich (Stargate, Independence Day) directs this big-budget SPFX extravaganza. It’s, well, 10,000 B.C., and a hairy, mammoth-hunting hero (unknown Steven Strait) is prevailed upon to rescue his tribe from a civilization of pyramid-dwelling slavers. Omar Sharif is in there, doing his best prehistoric work since The 13th Warrior. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

21 (PG-13, 123 minutes) Inspired by the book Bringing Down the House, this fact-based (let’s not go all the way to “true”) story introduces us to hotshot young M.I.T. student Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe). Our boy Ben’s a math wizard, but he’s too poor to afford tuition. Enter evil genius professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), who recruits Ben and a group of other students to become professional blackjack cheats in Las Vegas. Together, they rake in millions of dollars before the inevitable greed tears down their plans like a house of…something flimsy and paper-like in substance. Opening Friday

The Bank Job (R, 110 minutes) Jason Statham (The Italian Job, The Transporter) is in familiar territory, starring in this early-’70s crime caper about a would-be bankrobber targeting a London bank stuffed full of cash and jewelry. Unbenownst to our protagonist and his crew, the bank’s safety deposit boxes are also packed with secrets revealing a web of corruption stretching from London’s criminal underworld to the highest echelons of the British government. The mechanics are awfuly familiar, but director Roger Donaldson (Cocktail, Species) keeps things lively. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Be Kind Rewind (PG-13, 101 minutes) With Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) at the helm, you know you’re in for a weird ride. Jack Black and Mos Def play a couple of video store employees who accidentally erase every videotape in the store. In order to retain the store’s one loyal customer, an elderly lady with a shaky grip on reality, they set out to recreate every film in stock, armed with only a cheap video camera. The result is a two-man tour-de-force, covering The Lion King, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Driving Miss Daisy, Robocop and more. Soon, the whole town is getting in on the filmmaking action. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (PG-13, 112 minutes) Julian Schnabel (Before Night Falls, Basquiat) delves, once more, into an exploration of the detached, otherworldly vision of artists. This one is another true-life biopic, concentrating on the later days of Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby. Bauby suffered a massive stroke at a young age, paralyzing his entire body except for his left eyelid. Amazingly, he was able to dictate an entire autobiography by blinking. The film is a grim but beautiful visual poem full of half-liquid images. If only Schnabel had spent more time on the story Bauby had to tell and less time on the details of his dictation. In French with English subtitles. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Doomsday (R, 105 minutes) British director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Dog Soldiers), heads back to the ’80s for inspiration, cobbling together as many post-apocalyptic films (The Road Warrior, Escape From New York, 1990: The Bronx Warriors) as he can. After a lethal virus wipes out most of the U.K., a team of crack soldiers is sent into the walled-off quarantine zone to locate a cure. Apparently, evil people with mohawks don’t want them to succeed. Regal Seminole Square 4

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (G, 88 minutes) Wacky Jim Carrey proably isn’t the best choice to play Dr. Seuss’ timid, persecuted environmentalist Horton, but at least the CGI animation does its utmost to replicate the author/illustrator’s wild worlds. Scattered around this tale of a selfless elephant who tries to convince his jungle cohorts that a microscopic world needs his protection are vocal ringers like Steve Carrell, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, Dane Cook, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jamie Pressly and Seth Rogan. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Funny Games (R, 108 minutes) Bavarian agent provacoteur Michael Haneke (Caché, The Piano Teacher) is given the opportunity to remake his scabrous 1997 thriller. To his credit, he pulls no punches, giving us the same brutally manipulative satire of American filmmaking. As before, he invites the audience to become accomplices as two painfully polite psychos (Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet) tease and torture an upscale suburban family (including Tim Roth and Naomi Watts) over the course of one long weekend. This movie will either blow you away or piss you off. Probably both. Which is exactly what the director wants. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Juno (PG-13, 91 minutes) A labor of love from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody (author of Candy Girl) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), this sweet, smart and very funny flick easily earns a spot as one of the best films of the year. Snarky, cynical 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) gets pregnant after a bout of boredom-induced sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera from Superbad). Ruling out abortion, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to “some lady with a bum ovary or a couple nice lesbos.” The pitch-perfect dialogue, the lo-fi soundtrack, the spectacular cast and the perceptive story make this the cult comedy to beat. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG-13, 92 minutes) Amy Adams (Enchanted) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) star in this ’30s-set comedy/drama about a middle-aged London governess (McDormand) who finds herself unfairly dismissed and tries to land a job as a “social secretary” for a glamorous American actress (Adams). It’s all a whirl of cocktails parties and witty banter as our mousy heroine gets a rapid-fire makeover while Cole Porter tunes and air raid sirens fill up the soundtrack. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Never Back Down (PG-13, 106 minutes) What if you took the formula for all those endless street dancing movies (Step Up 2 The Streets) and replaced breakdancing with mixed martial arts? Well, you’d get this film, which is basically Bloodsport as recreated by the cast of “The O.C.” Sean Faris (The Brotherhood 2: Young Warlocks) stars as a rebellious new high school student who is lured into an underground fight club, where he must fight for honor and some chick in a spaghetti-strap tanktop. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Other Boleyn Girl (PG-13, 115 minutes) Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson star in this glitzy adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel. The historical storyline finds siblings Anne and Mary competing for the affections of England’s King Henry VIII. As any halfway decent Anglophile knows, neither girl kept her head on her neck for very long—which is part of the film’s problem. It looks good, but it’s notably glum. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Run, Fat Boy, Run (PG-13, 100 minutes) Comedians Simon Pegg and Michael Ian Black write the screenplay (sweet). David Schwimmer directs (shrug). Pegg (still hot off Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) stars as Dennis, a slightly overweight loser who ditched his pregnant fiancée (Thandie Newton) at the altar five years ago. He tries everything he can to win her back, but fails. When he finds out she’s about to marry a successful American (Hank Azaria), Dennis vows to get his life in order, starting by competing in the London Marathon. This is your basic, mainstream rom-com, but Pegg is deft at handling the slapstick stuff. Opening Friday

Semi-Pro (R, 90 minutes) The star player/owner/coach of a third-rate ’70s basketball team (Will Ferrell) finds out his Michigan Topics have an outside shot at being folded into the NBA—if they can dramatically increase their attendance. With the help of his teammates (Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin), he stops at nothing to attract attention. Typical but likable retro silliness from Mr. Ferrell. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Shutter (PG-13, 85 minutes) Honestly, the whole Asian ghost film thing is pretty played out at this point. At least this remake of a popular Thai film is directed by Masayuki Ochiai, who gave us semi-credible J-horror titles Parasite Eve, The Hypnotist and Infection. The atmospheric story revolves around a newly married couple (Joshua Jackson, Rachael Taylor) who discover ghostly images in photographs after a tragic accident. Opening Friday

The Spiderwick Chronicles (PG, 97 minutes) The popular young adult fantasy series comes to the big screen with hardly a whiff of Harry Potter about it. Three young children (including Freddie Highmore playing twins) move to a remote country mansion with their recently divorced mother (Mary Louise-Parker). There, they discover their great uncle’s legacy, a book detailing the lives of the fairies, goblins, brownies and other magical creatures that inhabit our world. Unfortunately, an evil goblin wants to get his hands on that book, forcing our young heroes to defend themselves. The cast is quite good (Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright and David Strathairn are among the adults), and the script (partially credited to John Sayles) is surprisingly mature. Way too scary for the little ones, though. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Stop-Loss (R) MTV Films thinks it’s found a way around the thorny issue of selling grim Iraq War movies to a disinterested public–simply fill the cast with hunky young actors. Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions), Channing Tatum (Step Up 2: The Streets), Rob Brown (Take the Lead) and Joseph Gordon-Levett (“3rd Rock From the Sun”) are among the teen-friendly stars trying to make this melodrama about Texas army men called back on yet another tour of duty look like an episode of “Friday Night Lights.” Opening Friday

Superhero Movie (PG-13, 85 minutes) For those who have diligently watched Scary Movie, Date Movie and Epic Movie patiently waiting for he day filmmakers would get around to making Superhero Movie, your long wait has finally been rewarded. Here we have an extremely timely spoof of 2002’s Spider-Man in which a kid named Rick Riker (TV’s Drake Bell) is bitten by a radioactive dragonfly and becomes Dragonfly! Are you laughing yet? How about if I throw in a cameo by Pamela Anderson? She was hot in 1995. Opening Friday

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (PG-13, 100 minutes) It’s called a vacation, Tyler. You should look into it. Honestly, we can go six months without seeing another filmic translation of one of you slapstick church plays in which you dress up in drag and impart some quaint moral about family. In this one, Angela Bassett plays a single mom who goes to Georgia for the funeral of the father she never knew. There, she’s introduced to the crass, fun-loving Brown family. … If daily doses of “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” over on TBS ain’t doin’ it for you, this should tide you over until Perry’s next feature comes out six months from now. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Vantage Point (PG-13, 90 minutes) Taking its inpiration, as so many other films have, from Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, this political thriller presents a crime as seen from five different viewpoints. Seems that some terrorists (or are they?) have tried to assassinate the President of the United States (or have they?). A host of witnesses (or are they?), each present their own perspective on the crime, allowing us to see the damn thing again and again and again (and again and again). Starry cast includes Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt and Matthew Fox. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town10,000 B.C. (PG-13, 109 minutes) Roland Emmerich (Stargate, Independence Day) directs this big-budget SPFX extravaganza. It’s, well, 10,000 B.C., and a hairy, mammoth-hunting hero (unknown Steven Strait) is prevailed upon to rescue his tribe from a civilization of pyramid-dwelling slavers. Omar Sharif is in there, doing his best prehistoric work since The 13th Warrior. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Bank Job (R, 110 minutes) Jason Statham (The Italian Job, The Transporter) is in familiar territory, starring in this early-’70s crime caper about a would-be bankrobber targeting a London bank stuffed full of cash and jewelry. Unbenownst to our protagonist and his crew, the bank’s safety deposit boxes are also packed with secrets revealing a web of corruption stretching from London’s criminal underworld to the highest echelons of the British government. The mechanics are awfuly familiar, but director Roger Donaldson (Cocktail, Species) keeps things lively. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Be Kind Rewind (PG-13) With Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) at the helm, you know you’re in for a weird ride. Jack Black and Mos Def play a couple of video store employees who accidentally erase every videotape in the store. In order to retain the store’s one loyal customer, an elderly lady with a shaky grip on reality, they set out to recreate every film in stock, armed with only a cheap video camera. The result is a two-man tour-de-force, covering The Lion King, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Driving Miss Daisy, Robocop and more. Soon, the whole town is getting in on the filmmaking action. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Definitely, Maybe (PG-13) Ryan Reynolds stars in what looks like a feature film version of “How I Met Your Mother.” He plays a Manhattan political consultant in the midst of a divorce who recounts his past relationships to his 10-year-old daughter (precocious kid du jour Abigail Breslin). But which of these past relationships actually ended up as his wife? That’s a secret…for some reason. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (PG-13, 112 minutes) Reviewed here. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Doomsday (R, 105 minutes) British director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Dog Soldiers), heads back to the ’80s for inspiration, cobbling together as many post-apocalyptic films (The Road Warrior, Escape From New York, 1990: The Bronx Warriors) as he can. After a lethal virus wipes out most of the U.K., a team of crack soldiers is sent into the walled-off quarantine zone to locate a cure. Apparently, evil people with mohawks don’t want them to succeed. Opening Friday; check local listings

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who (G, 88 minutes) Wacky Jim Carrey proably isn’t the best choice to play Dr. Seuss’ timid, persecuted environmentalist Horton, but at least the CGI animation does its utmost to replicate the author/illustrator’s wild worlds. Scattered around this tale of a selfless elephant who tries to convince his jungle cohorts that a microscopic world needs his protection are vocal ringers like Steve Carrell, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, Dane Cook, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jamie Pressly and Seth Rogan. Opening Friday; check local listings

Fool’s Gold (PG-13, 110 minutes) An estranged couple’s sense of adventure is rekindled when sunken treasure-hunting hubby (Matthew McConaughey, finding a valid excuse to act without a shirt) discovers the possible whereabouts of a fortune in gold. Naturally, he drags along his doubting ex (Kate Hudson, in no apparent hurry to land another Oscar nomination). Think Romancing the Stone with a bad case of swimmer’s ear. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (G, 74 minutes) OMG! Tween goddess Miley Cyrus and her Disney Channel alter ego, Hannah Montana, sing their biggest hits on screen! In 3-D! Whether or not this actually counts as the “best” depends largely on gender and age. If you’re a girl under the age of 12, you’ll probably be there screaming along. Did I mention the Jonas Brothers will be performing as well? Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

In Bruges (R, 107 minutes) A pair of mismatched British hitmen (Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson) are sent to cool their heels in the backwater Belgian tourist town of Bruges after a particularly brutal job. At first bored out of their minds amid the Gothic architecture tours and peaceful cobblestone streets, the two eventually adjust to the local groove–at least until their psycho boss (Ralph Fiennes) shows up. The film gets kinda talky and features a lot of European in-jokes, but mostly manages to transcend the blackly comic hitman genre solidified by Guy Ritchie a decade or so ago. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Jumper (PG-13, 90 minutes) The bestselling sci-fi series by Stephen Gould gets the action movie treatment by director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith). Hayden Christensen is a confused young man born with the ability to teleport anywhere in the world. Eventually, he discovers a secret order of people with identical abilities and becomes embroiled in a superpowered war that has been raging for thousands of years. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Juno (PG-13, 91 minutes) A labor of love from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody (author of Candy Girl) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), this sweet, smart and very funny flick easily earns a spot as one of the best films of the year. Snarky, cynical 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) gets pregnant after a bout of boredom-induced sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera from Superbad). Ruling out abortion, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to "some lady with a bum ovary or a couple nice lesbos." The pitch-perfect dialogue, the lo-fi soundtrack, the spectacular cast and the perceptive story make this the cult comedy to beat. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG-13, 92 minutes) Amy Adams (Enchanted) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) star in this ’30s-set comedy/drama about a middle-aged London governess (McDormand) who finds herself unfairly dismissed and tries to land a job as a “social secretary” for a glamorous American actress (Adams). It’s all a whirl of cocktails parties and witty banter as our mousy heroine gets a rapid-fire makeover while Cole Porter tunes and air raid sirens fill up the soundtrack. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Never Back Down (PG-13, 106 minutes) What if you took the formula for all those endless street dancing movies (Step Up 2 The Streets) and replaced breakdancing with mixed martial arts? Well, you’d get this film, which is basically Bloodsport as recreated by the cast of “The O.C.” Sean Faris (The Brotherhood 2: Young Warlocks) stars as a rebellious new high school student who is lured into an underground fight club, where he must fight for honor and some chick in a spaghetti-strap tanktop. Opening Friday; check local listings

The Other Boleyn Girl (PG-13, 115 minutes) Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson star in this glitzy adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel. The historical storyline finds siblings Anne and Mary competing for the affections of England’s King Henry VIII. As any halfway decent Anglophile knows, neither girl kept her head on her neck for very long—which is part of the film’s problem. It looks good, but it’s notably glum. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Penelope (PG, 102 minutes) Christina Ricci stars in this modern romantic fantasy about a young, aristocratic heiress born under a curse. Seems she’s stuck with the nose of a pig until she finds true love with “one who will love her faithfully.” This whimsical ugly-duckling tale is obviously striving for Tim Burton territory. The results are cute and visually vibrant but somewhat erratic. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Semi-Pro (R, 90 minutes) The star player/owner/coach of a third-rate ’70s basketball team (Will Ferrell) finds out his Michigan Topics have an outside shot at being folded into the NBA—if they can dramatically increase their attendance. With the help of his teammates (Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin), he stops at nothing to attract attention. Typical but likable retro silliness from Mr. Ferrell. Reviewed here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

The Spiderwick Chronicles (PG, 97 minutes) The popular young adult fantasy series comes to the big screen with hardly a whiff of Harry Potter about it. Three young children (including Freddie Highmore playing twins) move to a remote country mansion with their recently divorced mother (Mary Louise-Parker). There, they discover their great uncle’s legacy, a book detailing the lives of the fairies, goblins, brownies and other magical creatures that inhabit our world. Unfortunately, an evil goblin wants to get his hands on that book, forcing our young heroes to defend themselves. The cast is quite good (Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright and David Strathairn are among the adults), and the script (partially credited to John Sayles) is surprisingly mature. Way too scary for the little ones, though. Full review here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Step Up 2 the Streets (PG-13, 98 minutes) Apparently Step Up, You Got Served, Feel the Noise, Honey, Stomp the Yard, Save the Last Dance and How She Move weren’t enough for you people. So here’s another hip hop dance film about kids at a prestigious dance academy who shock the establishment with their “radical” street moves. In real life, your college dance instructor probably wrote her thesis on breakdancing. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Vantage Point (PG-13, 90 minutes) Taking its inpiration, as so many other films have, from Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, this political thriller presents a crime as seen from five different viewpoints. Seems that some terrorists (or are they?) have tried to assassinate the President of the United States (or have they?). A host of witnesses (or are they?), each present their own perspective on the crime, allowing us to see the damn thing again and again and again (and again and again). Starry cast includes Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt and Matthew Fox. Full review here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town10,000 B.C. (PG-13, 109 minutes) Roland Emmerich (Stargate, Independence Day) directs this big-budget SPFX extravaganza. It’s, well, 10,000 B.C., and a hairy, mammoth-hunting hero (unknown Steven Strait) is prevailed upon to rescue his tribe from a civilization of pyramid-dwelling slavers. Omar Sharif is in there, doing his best prehistoric work since The 13th Warrior. Opening Friday; check local listings

The Bank Job (R, 110 minutes) Jason Statham (The Italian Job, The Transporter) is in familiar territory, starring in this early-’70s crime caper about a would-be bankrobber targeting a London bank stuffed full of cash and jewelry. Unbenownst to our protagonist and his crew, the bank’s safety deposit boxes are also packed with secrets revealing a web of corruption stretching from London’s criminal underworld to the highest echelons of the British government. The mechanics are awfuly familiar, but director Roger Donaldson (Cocktail, Species) keeps things lively. Opening Friday; check local listings

Be Kind Rewind (PG-13) With Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) at the helm, you know you’re in for a weird ride. Jack Black and Mos Def play a couple of video store employees who accidentally erase every videotape in the store. In order to retain the store’s one loyal customer, an elderly lady with a shaky grip on reality, they set out to recreate every film in stock, armed with only a cheap video camera. The result is a two-man tour-de-force, covering The Lion King, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Driving Miss Daisy, Robocop and more. Soon, the whole town is getting in on the filmmaking action. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Charlie Bartlett (R) Recalling the fast-and-loose teen comedies of the ’80s, this high school-set film finds the rich, new kid in town (Anton Yelchin from “Huff”) appointing himself the school’s psychiatrist. Setting up shop in the boy’s lavatory, our titular fast-talker dispenses advice (and the occasional pharmaceutical drug) to his screwed-up fellow students. A blackly comic mixture of Rushmore and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Definitely, Maybe (PG-13) Ryan Reynolds stars in what looks like a feature film version of “How I Met Your Mother.” He plays a Manhattan political consultant in the midst of a divorce who recounts his past relationships to his 10-year-old daughter (precocious kid du jour Abigail Breslin). But which of these past relationships actually ended up as his wife? That’s a secret…for some reason. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Fool’s Gold (PG-13, 110 minutes) An estranged couple’s sense of adventure is rekindled when sunken treasure-hunting hubby (Matthew McConaughey, finding a valid excuse to act without a shirt) discovers the possible whereabouts of a fortune in gold. Naturally, he drags along his doubting ex (Kate Hudson, in no apparent hurry to land another Oscar nomination). Think Romancing the Stone with a bad case of swimmer’s ear. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (G, 74 minutes) OMG! Tween goddess Miley Cyrus and her Disney Channel alter ego, Hannah Montana, sing their biggest hits on screen! In 3-D! Whether or not this actually counts as the “best” depends largely on gender and age. If you’re a girl under the age of 12, you’ll probably be there screaming along. Did I mention the Jonas Brothers will be performing as well? Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Jumper (PG-13, 90 minutes) The bestselling sci-fi series by Stephen Gould gets the action movie treatment by director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith). Hayden Christensen is a confused young man born with the ability to teleport anywhere in the world. Eventually, he discovers a secret order of people with identical abilities and becomes embroiled in a superpowered war that has been raging for thousands of years. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Juno (PG-13, 91 minutes) A labor of love from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody (author of Candy Girl) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), this sweet, smart and very funny flick easily earns a spot as one of the best films of the year. Snarky, cynical 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) gets pregnant after a bout of boredom-induced sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera from Superbad). Ruling out abortion, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to "some lady with a bum ovary or a couple nice lesbos." The pitch-perfect dialogue, the lo-fi soundtrack, the spectacular cast and the perceptive story make this the cult comedy to beat. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Other Boleyn Girl (PG-13, 115 minutes) Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson star in this glitzy adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel. The historical storyline finds siblings Anne and Mary competing for the affections of England’s King Henry VIII. As any halfway decent Anglophile knows, neither girl kept her head on her neck for very long—which is part of the film’s problem. It looks good, but it’s notably glum. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Penelope (PG, 102 minutes) Christina Ricci stars in this modern romantic fantasy about a young, aristocratic heiress born under a curse. Seems she’s stuck with the nose of a pig until she finds true love with “one who will love her faithfully.” This whimsical ugly-duckling tale is obviously striving for Tim Burton territory. The results are cute and visually vibrant but somewhat erratic. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Spiderwick Chronicles (PG, 97 minutes) The popular young adult fantasy series comes to the big screen with hardly a whiff of Harry Potter about it. Three young children (including Freddie Highmore playing twins) move to a remote country mansion with their recently divorced mother (Mary Louise-Parker). There, they discover their great uncle’s legacy, a book detailing the lives of the fairies, goblins, brownies and other magical creatures that inhabit our world. Unfortunately, an evil goblin wants to get his hands on that book, forcing our young heroes to defend themselves. The cast is quite good (Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright and David Strathairn are among the adults), and the script (partially credited to John Sayles) is surprisingly mature. Way too scary for the little ones, though. Full review here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Step Up 2 the Streets (PG-13, 98 minutes) Apparently Step Up, You Got Served, Feel the Noise, Honey, Stomp the Yard, Save the Last Dance and How She Move weren’t enough for you people. So here’s another hip hop dance film about kids at a prestigious dance academy who shock the establishment with their “radical” street moves. In real life, your college dance instructor probably wrote her thesis on breakdancing. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

There Will Be Blood (R, 158 minutes) Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) ditches his ensemble style to (loosely and magnificently) adapt an obscure Upton Sinclair novel. Daniel Day-Lewis eats up the screen as Daniel Plainview, a scrappy misanthrope who builds an oil empire with his bare hands in turn-of-the-last-century Texas. Like Citizen Kane and Giant before it, this is epic American mythmaking. Unlikable as he may be, Plainview is an icon. There Will Be Blood follows him throughout the decades as he amasses his fortune, adopts a son, founds a town and makes an enemy of the church. A gritty, roughnecked portrait of American industry, religion and politics. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Vantage Point (PG-13, 90 minutes) Taking its inpiration, as so many other films have, from Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, this political thriller presents a crime as seen from five different viewpoints. Seems that some terrorists (or are they?) have tried to assassinate the President of the United States (or have they?). A host of witnesses (or are they?), each present their own perspective on the crime, allowing us to see the damn thing again and again and again (and again and again). Starry cast includes Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt and Matthew Fox. Full review here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (PG-13, 114 minutes) Martin Lawrence stars as Roscoe, a successful Los Angeles talk show host who reluctantly returns to his rural roots in the Deep South for a family reunion. James Earl Jones, Mike Epps, Cedric the Entertainer and Mo’Nique are among the relatives he’s trying to avoid. In the end, you can be sure lessons are learned. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Witless Protection (PG-13, 97 minutes) Somebody allowed Larry the Cable Guy to make another movie? Have we learned nothing from Delta Farce and Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector? How many more innocent Americans must suffer? Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town27 Dresses (PG-13, 107 minutes) Jane (Katherine Heigl) is always a bridesmaid never a bride. Literally. She’s served as bridesmaid at 27 weddings. Now she’s being forced to do the duty at her own sister’s wedding. The worst part? Sis is marrying the man (Ed Burns) that Jane secretly loves. Yes, that is the heavy odor of well-recycled “chick flick” you smell. Full review here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Atonement (R, 130 minutes) Ian McEwan’s novel comes to life in an epic and sweeping romance courtesy of director Joe Wright (2005’s Pride & Prejudice). In 1935 England, 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) spins a lie that breaks up the budding love affair between her older sister (Keira Knightley) and a handsome groundskeeper (James McAvoy). Five years later, the repercussions of that lie are still being felt as war rages in Europe. Will our lovers be reunited? Will Briony find forgiveness? Rich in morality, emotion and metaphysical depth, this weighty drama manages to combine love and war in one gorgeously assembled package. Playing Regal Downtown Mall 6

Be Kind Rewind (PG-13) With Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) at the helm, you know you’re in for a weird ride. Jack Black and Mos Def play a couple of video store employees who accidentally erase every videotape in the store. In order to retain the store’s one loyal customer, an elderly lady with a shaky grip on reality, they set out to recreate every film in stock, armed with only a cheap video camera. The result is a two-man tour-de-force, covering The Lion King, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Driving Miss Daisy, Robocop and more. Soon, the whole town is getting in on the filmmaking action. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Bucket List (PG-13, 97 minutes) Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star as (basically) Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in this feel-good Hallmark card comedy/drama about two old dudes dying of cancer who decide to realize their “Things to Do Before We Kick the Bucket” list. They go on safari, skydive, drive racecars, etc. It’s kind of fun to see Nicholson and Freeman having fun, but the film is a cruise-control tearjerker, pushing all the preordained buttons of the genre. Crowds will probably respond, however, right down to the patented Wise Old Morgan Freeman-Brand narration. Full review here. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Charlie Bartlett (R) Recalling the fast-and-loose teen comedies of the ’80s, this high school-set film finds the rich, new kid in town (Anton Yelchin from “Huff”) appointing himself the school’s psychiatrist. Setting up shop in the boy’s lavatory, our titular fast-talker dispenses advice (and the occasional pharmaceutical drug) to his screwed-up fellow students. A blackly comic mixture of Rushmore and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Cloverfield (PG-13, 84 minutes) While intimate details remain under a cloak of secrecy, this J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi thriller does revolve around a giant monster attack upon the city of New York. A small group of people, gathered together for a friend’s goodbye party, capture the events through the lens of their camcorder, Blair Witch-style. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Definitely, Maybe (PG-13) Ryan Reynolds stars in what looks like a feature film version of “How I Met Your Mother.” He plays a Manhattan political consultant in the midst of a divorce who recounts his past relationships to his 10-year-old daughter (precocious kid du jour Abigail Breslin). But which of these past relationships actually ended up as his wife? That’s a secret…for some reason. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Fool’s Gold (PG-13, 110 minutes) An estranged couple’s sense of adventure is rekindled when sunken treasure-hunting hubby (Matthew McConaughey, finding a valid excuse to act without a shirt) discovers the possible whereabouts of a fortune in gold. Naturally, he drags along his doubting ex (Kate Hudson, in no apparent hurry to land another Oscar nomination). Think Romancing the Stone with a bad case of swimmer’s ear. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (G, 74 minutes) OMG! Tween goddess Miley Cyrus and her Disney Channel alter ego, Hannah Montana, sing their biggest hits on screen! In 3-D! Whether or not this actually counts as the “best” depends largely on gender and age. If you’re a girl under the age of 12, you’ll probably be there screaming along. Did I mention the Jonas Brothers will be performing as well? Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Jumper (PG-13, 90 minutes) The bestselling sci-fi series by Stephen Gould gets the action movie treatment by director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith). Hayden Christensen is a confused young man born with the ability to teleport anywhere in the world. Eventually, he discovers a secret order of people with identical abilities and becomes embroiled in a superpowered war that has been raging for thousands of years. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Juno (PG-13, 91 minutes) A labor of love from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody (author of Candy Girl) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), this sweet, smart and very funny flick easily earns a spot as one of the best films of the year. Snarky, cynical 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) gets pregnant after a bout of boredom-induced sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera from Superbad). Ruling out abortion, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to "some lady with a bum ovary or a couple nice lesbos." The pitch-perfect dialogue, the lo-fi soundtrack, the spectacular cast and the perceptive story make this the cult comedy to beat. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

No Country for Old Men (R, 121 minutes) The Coen brothers bring a touch of Fargo to West Texas with this gripping adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s offbeat crime novel. Josh Brolin (Grindhouse) is a humble welder who stumbles across $2 million from a drug deal gone bad. Javier Bardem (The Sea Inside) is the freaky, emotionless assassin sent to recover the cash. Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive) is the small-town sheriff just trying to figure out what the hell is going on. This one is darker and more serious than most Coen films, but there’s still plenty of priceless dialogue and sharp black humor on display. One of this year’s best. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Other Boleyn Girl (PG-13, 115 minutes) Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson star in this glitzy adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel. The historical storyline finds siblings Anne and Mary competing for the affections of England’s King Henry VIII. As any halfway decent Anglophile knows, neither girl kept her head on her neck for very long—which is part of the film’s problem. It looks good, but it’s notably glum. Opening Friday; check local listings

Penelope (PG, 102 minutes) Christina Ricci stars in this modern romantic fantasy about a young, aristocratic heiress born under a curse. Seems she’s stuck with the nose of a pig until she finds true love with “one who will love her faithfully.” This whimsical ugly-duckling tale is obviously striving for Tim Burton territory. The results are cute and visually vibrant but somewhat erratic. Opening Friday; check local listings

Persepolis (PG-13, 95 minutes) This animated adaptation of Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel relates the author/artist/filmmaker’s life growing up in Iran during the reign of the Shah and, later, the Islamists. Satrapi went from precocious child to outspoken, punk rock-loving teenager. The highly stylized black-and-white artwork seems almost impressionistic at times, lending a simple edge to this unsentimental coming-of-age tale. Impressive English language voicecast includes Sean Penn, Gena Rowlands and Iggy Pop. Opening Friday; check local listings

The Savages (R, 113 minutes) Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney star as a pair of unsuccessful siblings who are suddenly burdened with caring for their nearly-gone father. Ancient and largely unspoken tales of abuse are pushed aside for more pressing burdens of adult diapers and senility. Finely observed moments of humanity and fragile humor lift what could have been a depressing look at life, death and regret. It’s still not a cheerful story, but it is a very mature and sensitively told one. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Semi-Pro (R, 90 minutes) The star player/owner/coach of a third-rate ‘70s basketball team (Will Ferrell) finds out his Michigan Topics have an outside shot at being folded into the NBA–if they can dramatically increase their attendance. With the help of his teammates (Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin), he stops at nothing to attract attention. Typical but likable retro silliness from Mr. Ferrell. Opening Friday; check local listings

The Spiderwick Chronicles (PG, 97 minutes) The popular young adult fantasy series comes to the big screen with hardly a whiff of Harry Potter about it. Three young children (including Freddie Highmore playing twins) move to a remote country mansion with their recently divorced mother (Mary Louise-Parker). There, they discover their great uncle’s legacy, a book detailing the lives of the fairies, goblins, brownies and other magical creatures that inhabit our world. Unfortunately, an evil goblin wants to get his hands on that book, forcing our young heroes to defend themselves. The cast is quite good (Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright and David Strathairn are among the adults), and the script (partially credited to John Sayles) is surprisingly mature. Way too scary for the little ones, though. Full review here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Step Up 2 the Streets (PG-13, 98 minutes) Apparently Step Up, You Got Served, Feel the Noise, Honey, Stomp the Yard, Save the Last Dance and How She Move weren’t enough for you people. So here’s another hip hop dance film about kids at a prestigious dance academy who shock the establishment with their “radical” street moves. In real life, your college dance instructor probably wrote her thesis on breakdancing. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

There Will Be Blood (R, 158 minutes) Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) ditches his ensemble style to (loosely and magnificently) adapt an obscure Upton Sinclair novel. Daniel Day-Lewis eats up the screen as Daniel Plainview, a scrappy misanthrope who builds an oil empire with his bare hands in turn-of-the-last-century Texas. Like Citizen Kane and Giant before it, this is epic American mythmaking. Unlikable as he may be, Plainview is an icon. There Will Be Blood follows him throughout the decades as he amasses his fortune, adopts a son, founds a town and makes an enemy of the church. A gritty, roughnecked portrait of American industry, religion and politics. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show (R, 110 minutes) Emcee Vince Vaughn and four stand-up comedians hand-picked by the actor travel the country to perform in 30 cities in 30 days. This film documents their interactions on and off stage. More jokes and fewer road movie segments might have been a better idea. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (PG-13, 114 minutes) Martin Lawrence stars as Roscoe, a successful Los Angeles talk show host who reluctantly returns to his rural roots in the Deep South for a family reunion. James Earl Jones, Mike Epps, Cedric the Entertainer and Mo’Nique are among the relatives he’s trying to avoid. In the end, you can be sure lessons are learned. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town27 Dresses (PG-13, 107 minutes) Jane (Katherine Heigl) is always a bridesmaid never a bride. Literally. She’s served as bridesmaid at 27 weddings. Now she’s being forced to do the duty at her own sister’s wedding. The worst part? Sis is marrying the man (Ed Burns) that Jane secretly loves. Yes, that is the heavy odor of well-recycled “chick flick” you smell. Full review here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Atonement (R, 130 minutes) Ian McEwan’s novel comes to life in an epic and sweeping romance courtesy of director Joe Wright (2005’s Pride & Prejudice). In 1935 England, 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) spins a lie that breaks up the budding love affair between her older sister (Keira Knightley) and a handsome groundskeeper (James McAvoy). Five years later, the repercussions of that lie are still being felt as war rages in Europe. Will our lovers be reunited? Will Briony find forgiveness? Rich in morality, emotion and metaphysical depth, this weighty drama manages to combine love and war in one gorgeously assembled package. Playing Regal Downtown Mall 6

Be Kind Rewind (PG-13) With Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) at the helm, you know you’re in for a weird ride. Jack Black and Mos Def play a couple of video store employees who accidentally erase every videotape in the store. In order to retain the store’s one loyal customer, an elderly lady with a shaky grip on reality, they set out to recreate every film in stock, armed with only a cheap video camera. The result is a two-man tour-de-force, covering The Lion King, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Driving Miss Daisy, Robocop and more. Soon, the whole town is getting in on the filmmaking action. Opening Friday; check local listings

The Bucket List (PG-13, 97 minutes) Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star as (basically) Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in this feel-good Hallmark card comedy/drama about two old dudes dying of cancer who decide to realize their “Things to Do Before We Kick the Bucket” list. They go on safari, skydive, drive racecars, etc. It’s kind of fun to see Nicholson and Freeman having fun, but the film is a cruise-control tearjerker, pushing all the preordained buttons of the genre. Crowds will probably respond, however, right down to the patented Wise Old Morgan Freeman-Brand narration. Full review here. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Charlie Bartlett (R) Recalling the fast-and-loose teen comedies of the ’80s, this high school-set film finds the rich, new kid in town (Anton Yelchin from “Huff”) appointing himself the school’s psychiatrist. Setting up shop in the boy’s lavatory, our titular fast-talker dispenses advice (and the occasional pharmaceutical drug) to his screwed-up fellow students. A blackly comic mixture of Rushmore and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Opening Friday; check local listings

Cloverfield (PG-13, 84 minutes) While intimate details remain under a cloak of secrecy, this J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi thriller does revolve around a giant monster attack upon the city of New York. A small group of people, gathered together for a friend’s goodbye party, capture the events through the lens of their camcorder, Blair Witch-style. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Definitely, Maybe (PG-13) Ryan Reynolds stars in what looks like a feature film version of “How I Met Your Mother.” He plays a Manhattan political consultant in the midst of a divorce who recounts his past relationships to his 10-year-old daughter (precocious kid du jour Abigail Breslin). But which of these past relationships actually ended up as his wife? That’s a secret…for some reason. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Eye (PG-13, 100 minutes) This Americanized remake of the Pang brothers’ 2002 Taiwanese horror hit finds blind gal Jessica Alba on the receiving end of a cornea transplant. Miraculously, she regains the ability to see. Unfortunately, her new eyes give her the ability to see ghosts. That’s what you get for settling on a pair of used eyes. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

First Sunday (PG-13, 98 minutes) Ice Cube, graduating somewhat from his dull string of family films (Are We Done Yet?), teams up with “30 Rock” nutball Tracy Morgan to wreak some stereotype-heavy mayhem. Cube and Morgan are a couple of hapless criminals sentenced to a stint in community service. While working at a local church, they come up with a scheme to rob the joint. Things don’t turn out quite the way they planned, of course, leading to a predictable change of heart. Comic Katt Williams contributes a memorably weird role as the church’s choir director. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Fool’s Gold (PG-13, 110 minutes) An estranged couple’s sense of adventure is rekindled when sunken treasure-hunting hubby (Matthew McConaughey, finding a valid excuse to act without a shirt) discovers the possible whereabouts of a fortune in gold. Naturally, he drags along his doubting ex (Kate Hudson, in no apparent hurry to land another Oscar nomination). Think Romancing the Stone with a bad case of swimmer’s ear. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (G, 74 minutes) OMG! Tween goddess Miley Cyrus and her Disney Channel alter ego, Hannah Montana, sing their biggest hits on screen! In 3-D! Whether or not this actually counts as the “best” depends largely on gender and age. If you’re a girl under the age of 12, you’ll probably be there screaming along. Did I mention the Jonas Brothers will be performing as well? Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Jumper (PG-13, 90 minutes) The bestselling sci-fi series by Stephen Gould gets the action movie treatment by director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith). Hayden Christensen is a confused young man born with the ability to teleport anywhere in the world. Eventually, he discovers a secret order of people with identical abilities and becomes embroiled in a superpowered war that has been raging for thousands of years. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Juno (PG-13, 91 minutes) A labor of love from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody (author of Candy Girl) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), this sweet, smart and very funny flick easily earns a spot as one of the best films of the year. Snarky, cynical 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) gets pregnant after a bout of boredom-induced sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera from Superbad). Ruling out abortion, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to "some lady with a bum ovary or a couple nice lesbos." The pitch-perfect dialogue, the lo-fi soundtrack, the spectacular cast and the perceptive story make this the cult comedy to beat. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (PG, 124 minutes) After the first, frantic, largely nonsensical National Treasure raked in a ton of dough at the box office, we were guaranteed a return visit from Nic Cage and his Indiana Jones-ish historian. This time around, he’s trying to discover the truth about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by figuring out the mystery behind the missing pages from John Wilkes Booth’s diary. Naturally, this involves lots of crazy clues, some Tomb Raider-inspired traps and a United States map. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

The Savages (R, 113 minutes) Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney star as a pair of unsuccessful siblings who are suddenly burdened with caring for their nearly-gone father. Ancient and largely unspoken tales of abuse are pushed aside for more pressing burdens of adult diapers and senility. Finely observed moments of humanity and fragile humor lift what could have been a depressing look at life, death and regret. It’s still not a cheerful story, but it is a very mature and sensitively told one. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Step Up 2 the Streets (PG-13, 98 minutes) Apparently Step Up, You Got Served, Feel the Noise, Honey, Stomp the Yard, Save the Last Dance and How She Move weren’t enough for you people. So here’s another hip hop dance film about kids at a prestigious dance academy who shock the establishment with their “radical” street moves. In real life, your college dance instructor probably wrote her thesis on breakdancing. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

There Will Be Blood (R, 158 minutes) Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) ditches his ensemble style to (loosely and magnificently) adapt an obscure Upton Sinclair novel. Daniel Day-Lewis eats up the screen as Daniel Plainview, a scrappy misanthrope who builds an oil empire with his bare hands in turn-of-the-last-century Texas. Like Citizen Kane and Giant before it, this is epic American mythmaking. Unlikable as he may be, Plainview is an icon. There Will Be Blood follows him throughout the decades as he amasses his fortune, adopts a son, founds a town and makes an enemy of the church. A gritty, roughnecked portrait of American industry, religion and politics. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Vantage Point (PG-13, 90 minutes) Taking its inspiration, as so many other films have, from Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, this political thriller presents a crime as seen from five different viewpoints. Seems that some terrorists (or are they?) have tried to assassinate the President of the United States (or have they?). A host of witnesses (or are they?) each present their own perspective on the crime, allowing us to see the damn thing again and again and again (and again and again). Starry cast includes Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt and Matthew Fox. Opening Friday; check local listings

Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show (R, 110 minutes) Emcee Vince Vaughn and four stand-up comedians hand-picked by the actor travel the country to perform in 30 cities in 30 days. This film documents their interactions on and off stage. More jokes and fewer road movie segments might have been a better idea. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (PG-13, 114 minutes) Martin Lawrence stars as Roscoe, a successful Los Angeles talk show host who reluctantly returns to his rural roots in the Deep South for a family reunion. James Earl Jones, Mike Epps, Cedric the Entertainer and Mo’Nique are among the relatives he’s trying to avoid. In the end, you can be sure lessons are learned. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Witness Protection (PG-13) Somebody allowed Larry the Cable Guy to make another movie? Have we learned nothing from Delta Farce and Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector? How many more innocent Americans must suffer? Opening Friday; check local listings

Movies playing in town

27 Dresses (PG-13, 107 minutes) Jane (Katherine Heigl) is always a bridesmaid never a bride. Literally. She’s served as bridesmaid at 27 weddings. Now she’s being forced to do the duty at her own sister’s wedding. The worst part? Sis is marrying the man (Ed Burns) that Jane secretly loves. Yes, that is the heavy odor of well-recycled “chick flick” you smell. Full review here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Atonement (R, 130 minutes) Ian McEwan’s novel comes to life in an epic and sweeping romance courtesy of director Joe Wright (2005’s Pride & Prejudice). In 1935 England, 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) spins a lie that breaks up the budding love affair between her older sister (Keira Knightley) and a handsome groundskeeper (James McAvoy). Five years later, the repercussions of that lie are still being felt as war rages in Europe. Will our lovers be reunited? Will Briony find forgiveness? Rich in morality, emotion and metaphysical depth, this weighty drama manages to combine love and war in one gorgeously assembled package. Playing Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Bucket List (PG-13, 97 minutes) Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star as (basically) Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in this feel-good Hallmark card comedy/drama about two old dudes dying of cancer who decide to realize their “Things to Do Before We Kick the Bucket” list. They go on safari, skydive, drive racecars, etc. It’s kind of fun to see Nicholson and Freeman having fun, but the film is a cruise-control tearjerker, pushing all the preordained buttons of the genre. Crowds will probably respond, however, right down to the patented Wise Old Morgan Freeman-Brand narration. Full review here. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Cloverfield (PG-13, 84 minutes) While intimate details remain under a cloak of secrecy, this J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi thriller does revolve around a giant monster attack upon the city of New York. A small group of people, gathered together for a friend’s goodbye party, capture the events through the lens of their camcorder, Blair Witch-style. Carmike Cinema 6

Definitely, Maybe (PG-13) Ryan Reynolds stars in what looks like a feature film version of “How I Met Your Mother.” He plays a Manhattan political consultant in the midst of a divorce who recounts his past relationships to his 10-year-old daughter (precocious kid du jour Abigail Breslin). But which of these past relationships actually ended up as his wife? That’s a secret…for some reason. Opening Friday; check local listings

The Desert Princess and the Pirates (PG-13, 90 minutes) Cartoon Network’s anime hit “One Piece” gets upgraded to the big screen. Seems the Straw Hat Pirates are helping Vivi save her kingdom from being destroyed by a fabricated war, which all began when the first drought occurred three years ago—an effort brought about by the secret organization known Baroque Works, led my Mr. 0, whose identity…You know what? I have no idea what I’m talking about. If you’re 10 and love Japanese super-powered pirate cartoons, enjoy. Playing at Carmmike Cinema 6

The Eye (PG-13, 100 minutes) This Americanized remake of the Pang brothers’ 2002 Taiwanese horror hit finds blind gal Jessica Alba on the receiving end of a cornea transplant. Miraculously, she regains the ability to see. Unfortunately, her new eyes give her the ability to see ghosts. That’s what you get for settling on a pair of used eyes. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

First Sunday (PG-13, 98 minutes) Ice Cube, graduating somewhat from his dull string of family films (Are We Done Yet?), teams up with “30 Rock” nutball Tracy Morgan to wreak some stereotype-heavy mayhem. Cube and Morgan are a couple of hapless criminals sentenced to a stint in community service. While working at a local church, they come up with a scheme to rob the joint. Things don’t turn out quite the way they planned, of course, leading to a predictable change of heart. Comic Katt Williams contributes a memorably weird role as the church’s choir director. Carmike Cinema 6

Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (G, 74 minutes) OMG! Tween goddess Miley Cyrus and her Disney Channel alter ego, Hannah Montana, sing their biggest hits on screen! In 3-D! Whether or not this actually counts as the “best” depends largely on gender and age. If you’re a girl under the age of 12, you’ll probably be there screaming along. Did I mention the Jonas Brothers will be performing as well? Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Jumper (PG-13, 90 minutes) The bestselling sci-fi series by Stephen Gould gets the action movie treatment by director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith). Hayden Christensen is a confused young man born with the ability to teleport anywhere in the world. Eventually, he discovers a secret order of people with identical abilities and becomes embroiled in a superpowered war that has been raging for thousands of years. Opening Friday; check local listings

Juno (PG-13, 91 minutes) A labor of love from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody (author of Candy Girl) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), this sweet, smart and very funny flick easily earns a spot as one of the best films of the year. Snarky, cynical 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) gets pregnant after a bout of boredom-induced sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera from Superbad). Ruling out abortion, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to "some lady with a bum ovary or a couple nice lesbos." The pitch-perfect dialogue, the lo-fi soundtrack, the spectacular cast and the perceptive story make this the cult comedy to beat. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Me & You, Us, Forever (PG) Christian-centric films, normally relegated to the Christmas/Easter holiday weekends, are now expanding into Valentine’s Day thanks to this religious romance. In it, a 47-year-old Christian man (Michael Blain-Rozgay, who played a waiter on one episode of “NYPD Blue”) looks back on a 1974 romance with his high school sweetheart. Opening Friday; check local listings

Meet the Spartans (PG-13, 84 minutes) Didn’t I declare a fatwa on anyone who dared to make another stupid Airplane-style spoof after last year’s Epic Movie? As usual, no on in Hollywood was listening to me, because here’s another one from the same idiots who gave us Scary Movie, Date Movie and Epic Movie. It expends most of its energy making fun of 300, with a couple digs left over for random stuff like Ghost Rider, Happy Feet and “Ugly Betty.” Whatever. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (PG, 124 minutes) After the first, frantic, largely nonsensical National Treasure raked in a ton of dough at the box office, we were guaranteed a return visit from Nic Cage and his Indiana Jones-ish historian. This time around, he’s trying to discover the truth about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by figuring out the mystery behind the missing pages from John Wilkes Booth’s diary. Naturally, this involves lots of crazy clues, some Tomb Raider-inspired traps and a United States map. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Over Her Dead Body (PG-13, 95 minutes) Eva Longoria Parker stars as a bitchy gal who died in a freak accident on her wedding day and now haunts her fiance’s new girlfriend (Lake Bell from “Boston Legal”). You could say this is a ripoff of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit, but that’s way too highminded for this slapstick romp. It’s more like a ripoff of Hello Again with Shelly Long. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Rambo (R, 93 minutes) What the world needs now is a 62-year-old action hero pumped full of HGH. Not to worry, Sylvester Stallone is here to fit that bill, pulling his John Rambo character out of its Reagan-era mothballs. This time around, Rambo has been hired to locate a group of Christian aid workers who have gone missing in the Burmese jungle, violently exterminating anyone who gets in his way. Written and directed by Sly himself. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

The Savages (R, 113 minutes) Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney star as a pair of unsuccessful siblings who are suddenly burdened with caring for their nearly-gone father. Ancient and largely unspoken tales of abuse are pushed aside for more pressing burdens of adult diapers and senility. Finely observed moments of humanity and fragile humor lift what could have been a depressing look at life, death and regret. It’s still not a cheerful story, but it is a very mature and sensitively told one. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Spiderwick Chronicles (PG, 97 minutes) The popular young adult fantasy series comes to the big screen with hardly a whiff of Harry Potter about it. Three young children (including Freddie Highmore, playing twins) move to a remote country mansion with their recently divorced mother (Mary-Louise Parker). There, they discover their great uncle’s legacy, a book detailing the lives of the fairies, goblins, brownies and other magical creatures that inhabit our world. Unfortunately, an evil goblin wants to get his hands on that book, forcing our young heroes to defend themselves. The cast is quite good (Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright and David Strathairn are among the adults), and the script (partially credited to John Sayles) is surprisingly mature. Way too scary for the little ones, though. Opening Friday; check local listings

Step Up 2 the Streets (PG-13, 98 minutes) Apparently Step Up, You Got Served, Feel the Noise, Honey, Stomp the Yard, Save the Last Dance and How She Move weren’t enough for you people. So here’s another hip hop dance film about kids at a prestigious dance academy who shock the establishment with their “radical” street moves. In real life, your college dance instructor probably wrote her thesis on breakdancing. Opening Friday; check local listings

Strange Wilderness (R) Here’s the rule of thumb: Any film produced by Adam Sandler, that does not actually star Adam Sandler (Grandma’s Boy, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, The Hot Chick, The Master of Disguise, The Animal) sucks. This film, for example, was produced by Sandler. In it, a bunch of idiots (including Steve Zahn and Jonah Hill) try to pump up ratings for their inept wildlife show by going in search of Bigfoot. If you are not stoned while watching this movie, you will not laugh. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

There Will Be Blood (R, 158 minutes) Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) ditches his ensemble style to (loosely and magnificently) adapt an obscure Upton Sinclair novel. Daniel Day-Lewis eats up the screen as Daniel Plainview, a scrappy misanthrope who builds an oil empire with his bare hands in turn-of-the-last-century Texas. Like Citizen Kane and Giant before it, this is epic American mythmaking. Unlikable as he may be, Plainview is an icon. There Will Be Blood follows him throughout the decades as he amasses his fortune, adopts a son, founds a town and makes an enemy of the church. A gritty, roughnecked portrait of American industry, religion and politics. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show (R, 110 minutes) Emcee Vince Vaughn and four stand-up comedians hand-picked by the actor travel the country to perform in 30 cities in 30 days. This film documents their interactions on and off stage. More jokes and fewer road movie segments might have been a better idea. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (PG-13, 114 minutes) Martin Lawrence stars as Roscoe, a successful Los Angeles talk show host who reluctantly returns to his rural roots in the Deep South for a family reunion. James Earl Jones, Mike Epps, Cedric the Entertainer and Mo’Nique are among the relatives he’s trying to avoid. In the end, you can be sure lessons are learned. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Movies Playing in town

Movies playing in town27 Dresses (PG-13, 107 minutes) Jane (Katherine Heigl) is always a bridesmaid never a bride. Literally. She’s served as bridesmaid at 27 weddings. Now she’s being forced to do the duty at her own sister’s wedding. The worst part? Sis is marrying the man (Ed Burns) that Jane secretly loves. Yes, that is the heavy odor of well-recycled “chick flick” you smell. Full review here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Alvin and the Chipmunks (PG, 92 minutes) Mere months after showing up in Underdog, Jason Lee signs on for yet another CGI decimation of a beloved childhood cartoon. Here he plays David Seville, adoptive "father" to three singing chipmunks. This was probably better left to the imagination, but little kids will laugh at the cute animals and occasional bouts of rude humor. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Atonement (R, 130 minutes) Ian McEwan’s novel comes to life in an epic and sweeping romance courtesy of director Joe Wright (2005’s Pride & Prejudice). In 1935 England, 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) spins a lie that breaks up the budding love affair between her older sister (Keira Knightley) and a handsome groundskeeper (James McAvoy). Five years later, the repercussions of that lie are still being felt as war rages in Europe. Will our lovers be reunited? Will Briony find forgiveness? Rich in morality, emotion and metaphysical depth, this weighty drama manages to combine love and war in one gorgeously assembled package. Playing Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Bucket List (PG-13, 97 minutes) Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star as (basically) Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in this feel-good Hallmark card comedy/drama about two old dudes dying of cancer who decide to realize their “Things to Do Before We Kick the Bucket” list. They go on safari, skydive, drive racecars, etc. It’s kind of fun to see Nicholson and Freeman having fun, but the film is a cruise-control tearjerker, pushing all the preordained buttons of the genre. Crowds will probably respond, however, right down to the patented Wise Old Morgan Freeman-Brand narration. Full review here. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Cloverfield (PG-13, 84 minutes) While intimate details remain under a cloak of secrecy, this J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi thriller does revolve around a giant monster attack upon the city of New York. A small group of people, gathered together for a friend’s goodbye party, capture the events through the lens of their camcorder, Blair Witch-style. Carmike Cinema 6

The Eye (PG-13, 100 minutes) This Americanized remake of the Pang brothers’ 2002 Taiwanese horror hit finds blind gal Jessica Alba on the receiving end of a cornea transplant. Miraculously, she regains the ability to see. Unfortunately, her new eyes give her the ability to see ghosts. That’s what you get for settling on a pair of used eyes. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4

First Sunday (PG-13, 98 minutes) Ice Cube, graduating somewhat from his dull string of family films (Are We Done Yet?), teams up with “30 Rock” nutball Tracy Morgan to wreak some stereotype-heavy mayhem. Cube and Morgan are a couple of hapless criminals sentenced to a stint in community service. While working at a local church, they come up with a scheme to rob the joint. Things don’t turn out quite the way they planned, of course, leading to a predictable change of heart. Comic Katt Williams contributes a memorably weird role as the church’s choir director. Carmike Cinema 6

Fool’s Gold (PG-13, 110 minutes) An estranged couple’s sense of adventure is rekindled when treasure-hunting hubby (Matthew McConaughey, finding a valid excuse to act without a shirt) discovers the possible whereabouts of a fortune in sunken gold. Naturally, he drags along his doubting ex (Kate Hudson, in no apparent hurry to land another Oscar nomination). Think Romancing the Stone with a bad case of swimmer’s ear. Opening Friday; check local listings

Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (G, 74 minutes) OMG! Tween goddess Miley Cyrus and her Disney Channel alter ego, Hannah Montana, sing their biggest hits on screen! In 3-D! Whether or not this actually counts as the “best” depends largely on gender and age. If you’re a girl under the age of 12, you’ll probably be there screaming along. Did I mention the Jonas Brothers will be performing as well? Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Juno (PG-13, 91 minutes) A labor of love from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody (author of Candy Girl) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), this sweet, smart and very funny flick easily earns a spot as one of the best films of the year. Snarky, cynical 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) gets pregnant after a bout of boredom-induced sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera from Superbad). Ruling out abortion, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to "some lady with a bum ovary or a couple nice lesbos." The pitch-perfect dialogue, the lo-fi soundtrack, the spectacular cast and the perceptive story make this the cult comedy to beat. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Meet the Spartans (PG-13, 84 minutes) Didn’t I declare a fatwa on anyone who dared to make another stupid Airplane-style spoof after last year’s Epic Movie? As usual, no on in Hollywood was listening to me, because here’s another one from the same idiots who gave us Scary Movie, Date Movie and Epic Movie. It expends most of its energy making fun of 300, with a couple digs left over for random stuff like Ghost Rider, Happy Feet and “Ugly Betty.” Whatever. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (PG, 124 minutes) After the first, frantic, largely nonsensical National Treasure raked in a ton of dough at the box office, we were guaranteed a return visit from Nic Cage and his Indiana Jones-ish historian. This time around, he’s trying to discover the truth about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by figuring out the mystery behind the missing pages from John Wilkes Booth’s diary. Naturally, this involves lots of crazy clues, some Tomb Raider-inspired traps and a United States map. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

No Country For Old Men (R, 121 minutes) The Coen brothers bring a touch of Fargo to West Texas with this gripping adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s offbeat crime novel. Josh Brolin (Grindhouse) is a humble welder who stumbles across $2 million from a drug deal gone bad. Javier Bardem (The Sea Inside) is the freaky, emotionless assassin sent to recover the cash. Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive) is the small-town sheriff just trying to figure out what the hell is going on. This one is darker and more serious than most Coen films, but there’s still plenty of priceless dialogue and sharp black humor on display. One of this year’s best. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Rambo (R, 93 minutes) What the world needs now is a 62-year-old action hero pumped full of HGH. Not to worry, Sylvester Stallone is here to fit that bill, pulling his John Rambo character out of its Reagan-era mothballs. This time around, Rambo has been hired to locate a group of Christian aid workers who have gone missing in the Burmese jungle, violently exterminating anyone who gets in his way. Written and directed by Sly himself. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Strange Wilderness (R) Here’s the rule of thumb: Any film produced by Adam Sandler, that does not actually star Adam Sandler (Grandma’s Boy, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, The Hot Chick, The Master of Disguise, The Animal) sucks. This film, for example, was produced by Sandler. In it, a bunch of idiots (including Steve Zahn and Jonah Hill) try to pump up ratings for their inept wildlife show by going in search of Bigfoot. If you are not stoned while watching this movie, you will not laugh. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

There Will Be Blood (R, 158 minutes) Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) ditches his ensemble style to (loosely and magnificently) adapt an obscure Upton Sinclair novel. Daniel Day-Lewis eats up the screen as Daniel Plainview, a scrappy misanthrope who builds an oil empire with his bare hands in turn-of-the-last-century Texas. Like Citizen Kane and Giant before it, this is epic American mythmaking. Unlikable as he may be, Plainview is an icon. There Will Be Blood follows him throughout the decades as he amasses his fortune, adopts a son, founds a town and makes an enemy of the church. A gritty, roughnecked portrait of American industry, religion and politics. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Untraceable (R, 100 minutes) “NYPD Blue”/”Hill Street Blues” producer Gregory Hoblit directs this far-fetched thriller about a sexy FBI agent (Diane Lane) tasked with hunting down a cyber serial killer who kidnaps people and hooks them up to elaborate torture machines that will kill them faster depending on how many people log on to his “untraceable” snuff website. It’s meant to be an indictment of America’s violent popular culture, but it’s mostly just another dumb slasher film with a slight Internet-age twist. Full review here. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (PG-13, 114 minutes) Martin Lawrence stars as Roscoe, a successful Los Angeles talk show host who reluctantly returns to his rural roots in the Deep South for a family reunion. James Earl Jones, Mike Epps, Cedric the Entertainer and Mo’Nique are among the relatives he’s trying to avoid. In the end, you can be sure lessons are learned. Opening Friday; check local listings

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town27 Dresses (PG-13, 107 minutes) Jane (Katherine Heigl) is always a bridesmaid never a bride. Literally. She’s served as bridesmaid at 27 weddings. Now she’s being forced to do the duty at her own sister’s wedding. The worst part? Sis is marrying the man (Ed Burns) that Jane secretly loves. Yes, that is the heavy odor of well-recycled “chick flick” you smell. Full review here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Alvin and the Chipmunks (PG, 92 minutes) Mere months after showing up in Underdog, Jason Lee signs on for yet another CGI decimation of a beloved childhood cartoon. Here he plays David Seville, adoptive "father" to three singing chipmunks. This was probably better left to the imagination, but little kids will laugh at the cute animals and occasional bouts of rude humor. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Atonement (R, 130 minutes) Ian McEwan’s novel comes to life in an epic and sweeping romance courtesy of director Joe Wright (2005’s Pride & Prejudice). In 1935 England, 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) spins a lie that breaks up the budding love affair between her older sister (Keira Knightley) and a handsome groundskeeper (James McAvoy). Five years later, the repercussions of that lie are still being felt as war rages in Europe. Will our lovers be reunited? Will Briony find forgiveness? Rich in morality, emotion and metaphysical depth, this weighty drama manages to combine love and war in one gorgeously assembled package. Playing Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Bucket List (PG-13, 97 minutes) Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star as (basically) Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in this feel-good Hallmark card comedy/drama about two old dudes dying of cancer who decide to realize their “Things to Do Before We Kick the Bucket” list. They go on safari, skydive, drive racecars, etc. It’s kind of fun to see Nicholson and Freeman having fun, but the film is a cruise-control tearjerker, pushing all the preordained buttons of the genre. Crowds will probably respond, however, right down to the patented Wise Old Morgan Freeman-Brand narration. Full review here. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6.

Cloverfield (PG-13, 84 minutes) While intimate details remain under a cloak of secrecy, this J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi thriller does revolve around a giant monster attack upon the city of New York. A small group of people, gathered together for a friend’s goodbye party, capture the events through the lens of their camcorder, Blair Witch-style. Carmike Cinema 6

The Eye (PG-13, 100 minutes) This Americanized remake of the Pang brothers’ 2002 Taiwanese horror hit finds blind gal Jessica Alba on the receiving end of a cornea transplant. Miraculously, she regains the ability to see. Unfortunately, her new eyes give her the ability to see ghosts. That’s what you get for settling on a pair of used eyes. Opening Friday; check local listings

First Sunday (PG-13, 98 minutes) Ice Cube, graduating somewhat from his dull string of family films (Are We Done Yet?), teams up with “30 Rock” nutball Tracy Morgan to wreak some stereotype-heavy mayhem. Cube and Morgan are a couple of hapless criminals sentenced to a stint in community service. While working at a local church, they come up with a scheme to rob the joint. Things don’t turn out quite the way they planned, of course, leading to a predictable change of heart. Comic Katt Williams contributes a memorably weird role as the church’s choir director. Carmike Cinema 6

Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (G, 74 minutes) OMG! Tween goddess Miley Cyrus and her Disney Channel alter ego, Hannah Montana, sing their biggest hits on screen! In 3-D! Whether or not this actually counts as the “best” depends largely on gender and age. If you’re a girl under the age of 12, you’ll probably be there screaming along. Did I mention the Jonas Brothers will be performing as well? Opening Friday; check local listings

I Am Legend (PG-13, 100 minutes) Will Smith steps out in front of this third attempt to adapt Richard Matheson’s classic sci-fi horror novel. Previous versions included Vincent Price in 1964’s The Last Man on Earth and Charlton Heston in 1971’s The Omega Man. Smith plays Dr. Robert Neville, a scientist trapped in New York City after a virus decimates all of humanity—which wouldn’t be so rough if most people hadn’t been transformed into bloodsucking monsters. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (PG-13, 150 minutes) You’ve got to hand it German director Uwe Boll. He’s got tenacity. After a string of legendarily bad videogame-based movies (House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, BloodRayne, BloodRayne II: Deliverance) comes another soon-to-be legendarily bad videogame-based movie. Thanks to a pointlessly large budget, Boll has hired a nutty cast (Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Matthew Lillard, Leelee Sobieski, Ron Perlman, Burt Reynolds) to fill up this dumb sword-and-sorcery pic complete with evil sorcerers, monstrous Krugs (don’t ask) and a farmer named Farmer. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Juno (PG-13, 91 minutes) A labor of love from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody (author of Candy Girl) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), this sweet, smart and very funny flick easily earns a spot as one of the best films of the year. Snarky, cynical 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) gets pregnant after a bout of boredom-induced sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera from Superbad). Ruling out abortion, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to "some lady with a bum ovary or a couple nice lesbos." The pitch-perfect dialogue, the lo-fi soundtrack, the spectacular cast and the perceptive story make this the cult comedy to beat. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Kite Runner (PG-13, 122 minutes) It’s the end of the year, and that means lots and lots of literary adaptations striving for Oscar consideration. Here, we have Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling novel as adapted by Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball). In it, a young Muslim living in California returns to his homeland of Afghanistan to help his old friend, whose son is in trouble. There are lots of flashbacks to our main characters’ troubled and dangerous childhood. The setting is appropriately exotic. If only the story were less manipulative. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Mad Money (PG-13, 104 minutes) Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes form a trio of gals who plot to rob the Federal Reserve where they work. They’re only going to steal old money scheduled for destruction, so who’s to notice? Naturally, things go wrong. Feel free to refer to this mild comic crime caper as Ocean’s Three. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Meet the Spartans (PG-13, 84 minutes) Didn’t I declare a fatwa on anyone who dared to make another stupid Airplane-style spoof after last year’s Epic Movie? As usual, no on in Hollywood was listening to me, because here’s another one from the same idiots who gave us Scary Movie, Date Movie and Epic Movie. It expends most of its energy making fun of 300, with a couple digs left over for random stuff like Ghost Rider, Happy Feet and “Ugly Betty.” Whatever. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (PG, 124 minutes) After the first, frantic, largely nonsensical National Treasure raked in a ton of dough at the box office, we were guaranteed a return visit from Nic Cage and his Indiana Jones-ish historian. This time around, he’s trying to discover the truth about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by figuring out the mystery behind the missing pages from John Wilkes Booth’s diary. Naturally, this involves lots of crazy clues, some Tomb Raider-inspired traps and a United States map. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

No Country For Old Men (R, 121 minutes) The Coen brothers bring a touch of Fargo to West Texas with this gripping adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s offbeat crime novel. Josh Brolin (Grindhouse) is a humble welder who stumbles across $2 million from a drug deal gone bad. Javier Bardem (The Sea Inside) is the freaky, emotionless assassin sent to recover the cash. Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive) is the small-town sheriff just trying to figure out what the hell is going on. This one is darker and more serious than most Coen films, but there’s still plenty of priceless dialogue and sharp black humor on display. One of this year’s best. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

One Missed Call (PG-13, 87 minutes) Back in 2003, mad filmmaker Takashi Miike (Visitor Q, Audition, Ichi the Killer) created arguably the ultimate Japanese ghost story and a perfectly sly parody of the dead-chick-with-long-black-hair genre, putting a final nail in that particular coffin. Naturally, Hollywood has arrived a day late and a dollar short, producing this too literal, too late remake about a group of young friends who start receiving phone calls from the Great Beyond that predict the time and date of their deaths. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Over Her Dead Body (PG-13, 95 minutes) Eva Longoria Parker stars as a bitchy gal who died in a freak accident on her wedding day and now haunts her fiance’s new girlfriend (Lake Bell from “Boston Legal”). You could say this is a ripoff of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit, but that’s way too highminded for this slapstick romp. It’s more like a ripoff of Hello Again with Shelly Long. Opening Friday; check local listings

Rambo (R, 93 minutes) What the world needs now is a 62-year-old action hero pumped full of HGH. Not to worry, Sylvester Stallone is here to fit that bill, pulling his John Rambo character out of its Reagan-era mothballs. This time around, Rambo has been hired to locate a group of Christian aid workers who have gone missing in the Burmese jungle, violently exterminating anyone who gets in his way. Written and directed by Sly himself. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Strange Wilderness (R) Here’s the rule of thumb: Any film produced by Adam Sandler, that does not actually star Adam Sandler (Grandma’s Boy, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, The Hot Chick, The Master of Disguise, The Animal) sucks. This film, for example, was produced by Sandler. In it, a bunch of idiots (including Steve Zahn and Jonah Hill) try to pump up ratings for their inept wildlife show by going in search of Bigfoot. If you are not stoned while watching this movie, you will not laugh. Opening Friday; check local listings

There Will Be Blood (R, 158 minutes) Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) ditches his ensemble style to (loosely and magnificently) adapt an obscure Upton Sinclair novel. Daniel Day-Lewis eats up the screen as Daniel Plainview, a scrappy misanthrope who builds an oil empire with his bare hands in turn-of-the-last-century Texas. Like Citizen Kane and Giant before it, this is epic American mythmaking. Unlikable as he may be, Plainview is an icon. There Will Be Blood follows him throughout the decades as he amasses his fortune, adopts a son, founds a town and makes an enemy of the church. A gritty, roughnecked portrait of American industry, religion and politics. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Movies playing in town

Alvin and the Chipmunks (PG, 92 minutes) Mere months after showing up in Underdog, Jason Lee signs on for yet another CGI decimation of a beloved childhood cartoon. Here he plays David Seville, adoptive "father" to three singing chipmunks. This was probably better left to the imagination, but little kids will laugh at the cute animals and occasional bouts of rude humor. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Atonement (R, 130 minutes) Ian McEwan’s novel comes to life in an epic and sweeping romance courtesy of director Joe Wright (2005’s Pride & Prejudice). In 1935 England, 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) spins a lie that breaks up the budding love affair between her older sister (Keira Knightley) and a handsome groundskeeper (James McAvoy). Five years later, the repercussions of that lie are still being felt as war rages in Europe. Will our lovers be reunited? Will Briony find forgiveness? Rich in morality, emotion and metaphysical depth, this weighty drama manages to combine love and war in one gorgeously assembled package. Playing Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Bucket List (PG-13, 97 minutes) Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star as (basically) Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in this feel-good Hallmark card comedy/drama about two old dudes dying of cancer who decide to realize their “Things to Do Before We Kick the Bucket” list. They go on safari, skydive, drive racecars, etc. It’s kind of fun to see Nicholson and Freeman having fun, but the film is a cruise-control tearjerker, pushing all the preordained buttons of the genre. Crowds will probably respond, however, right down to the patented Wise Old Morgan Freeman-Brand narration. Full review here. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6.

Cloverfield (PG-13, 84 minutes) While intimate details remain under a cloak of secrecy, this J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi thriller does revolve around a giant monster attack upon the city of New York. A small group of people, gathered together for a friend’s goodbye party, capture the events through the lens of their camcorder, Blair Witch-style. Carmike Cinema 6

The Great Debaters (PG-13, 123 minutes) Do you love true-life stories about teachers who inspire rag-tag groups of students to form winning cheerleading/football/math/poetry/whatever teams? Well, here’s another one. In this inspirational outing, Denzel Washington (who also directs) sweet talks students at tiny Wiley College in Texas into forming their first debate team all the way back in racially devisive 1935. It’s inspirational-tastic! Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

I Am Legend (PG-13, 100 minutes) Will Smith steps out in front of this third attempt to adapt Richard Matheson’s classic sci-fi horror novel. Previous versions included Vincent Price in 1964’s The Last Man on Earth and Charlton Heston in 1971’s The Omega Man. Smith plays Dr. Robert Neville, a scientist trapped in New York City after a virus decimates all of humanity—which wouldn’t be so rough if most people hadn’t been transformed into bloodsucking monsters. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (PG-13, 150 minutes) You’ve got to hand it German director Uwe Boll. He’s got tenacity. After a string of legendarily bad videogame-based movies (House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, BloodRayne, BloodRayne II: Deliverance) comes another soon-to-be legendarily bad videogame-based movie. Thanks to a pointlessly large budget, Boll has hired a nutty cast (Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Matthew Lillard, Leelee Sobieski, Ron Perlman, Burt Reynolds) to fill up this dumb sword-and-sorcery pic complete with evil sorcerers, monstrous Krugs (don’t ask) and a farmer named Farmer. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Juno (PG-13, 91 minutes) A labor of love from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody (author of Candy Girl) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), this sweet, smart and very funny flick easily earns a spot as one of the best films of the year. Snarky, cynical 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) gets pregnant after a bout of boredom-induced sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera from Superbad). Ruling out abortion, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to "some lady with a bum ovary or a couple nice lesbos." The pitch-perfect dialogue, the lo-fi soundtrack, the spectacular cast and the perceptive story make this the cult comedy to beat. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Kite Runner (PG-13, 122 minutes) It’s the end of the year, and that means lots and lots of literary adaptations striving for Oscar consideration. Here, we have Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling novel as adapted by Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball). In it, a young Muslim living in California returns to his homeland of Afghanistan to help his old friend, whose son is in trouble. There are lots of flashbacks to our main characters’ troubled and dangerous childhood. The setting is appropriately exotic. If only the story were less manipulative. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Mad Money (PG-13, 104 minutes) Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes form a trio of gals who plot to rob the Federal Reserve where they work. They’re only going to steal old money scheduled for destruction, so who’s to notice? Naturally, things go wrong. Feel free to refer to this mild comic crime caper as Ocean’s Three. Opening Friday; check local listings

Meet the Spartans (PG-13, 84 minutes) Didn’t I declare a fatwa on anyone who dared to make another stupid Airplane-style spoof after last year’s Epic Movie? As usual, no on in Hollywood was listening to me, because here’s another one from the same idiots who gave us Scary Movie, Date Movie and Epic Movie. It expends most of its energy making fun of 300, with a couple digs left over for random stuff like Ghost Rider, Happy Feet and “Ugly Betty.” Whatever. Opening Friday; check local listings

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (PG, 124 minutes) After the first, frantic, largely nonsensical National Treasure raked in a ton of dough at the box office, we were guaranteed a return visit from Nic Cage and his Indiana Jones-ish historian. This time around, he’s trying to discover the truth about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by figuring out the mystery behind the missing pages from John Wilkes Booth’s diary. Naturally, this involves lots of crazy clues, some Tomb Raider-inspired traps and a United States map. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

No Country For Old Men (R, 121 minutes) The Coen brothers bring a touch of Fargo to West Texas with this gripping adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s offbeat crime novel. Josh Brolin (Grindhouse) is a humble welder who stumbles across $2 million from a drug deal gone bad. Javier Bardem (The Sea Inside) is the freaky, emotionless assassin sent to recover the cash. Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive) is the small-town sheriff just trying to figure out what the hell is going on. This one is darker and more serious than most Coen films, but there’s still plenty of priceless dialogue and sharp black humor on display. One of this year’s best. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

One Missed Call (PG-13, 87 minutes) Back in 2003, mad filmmaker Takashi Miike (Visitor Q, Audition, Ichi the Killer) created arguably the ultimate Japanese ghost story and a perfectly sly parody of the dead-chick-with-long-black-hair genre, putting a final nail in that particular coffin. Naturally, Hollywood has arrived a day late and a dollar short, producing this too literal, too late remake about a group of young friends who start receiving phone calls from the Great Beyond that predict the time and date of their deaths. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

P.S. I Love You (PG-13, 126 minutes) Are you a Vermont maple tree farmer? Do you love sap in all its forms? Well then, this high-concept romance-—sentimental enough to be a Mitch Albom novel—should be to your liking. Hilary Swank stars as a young widow who discovers that her late husband has left her a series of 10 messages, each describing inventive new ways to ease her pain. In carrying out these dying requests (with the help of her sitcom-cute friends, like Lisa Kudrow from "Friends"), our heroine learns to live and love again. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Rambo (R, 93 minutes) What the world needs now is a 62-year-old action hero pumped full of HGH. Not to worry, Sylvester Stallone is here to fit that bill, pulling his John Rambo character out of its Reagan-era mothballs. This time around, Rambo has been hired to locate a group of Christian aid workers who have gone missing in the Burmese jungle, violently exterminating anyone who gets in his way. Written and directed by Sly himself. Opening Friday; check local listings

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (R, 116 minutes) Talk about your all-star collaborations. Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Stephen Sondheim? Sounds like a match made in heaven. The oft-told tale of a Victorian barber who wreaks gory revenge on the men who wrongly sent him to prison (and pretty much any other warm body that crosses his path) gets an imaginative big screen treatment. The story is bloody good fun and Depp ain’t half bad as a singer. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (PG, 111 minutes) In the proud tradition of Magic in the Water starring Mark Harmon and Loch Ness starring Ted Danson comes this twee family fantasy about a lonely Scottish boy who discovers a mysterious egg that hatches into the Loch Ness Monster. Kids who dream of raising giant monsters might enjoy this period re-creation of E.T., The Yearling, and Old Yeller—at least until the film’s rather scary final reels. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

There Will Be Blood (R, 158 minutes) Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) ditches his ensemble style to (loosely and magnificently) adapt an obscure Upton Sinclair novel. Daniel Day-Lewis eats up the screen as Daniel Plainview, a scrappy misanthrope who builds an oil empire with his bare hands in turn-of-the-last-century Texas. Like Citizen Kane and Giant before it, this is epic American mythmaking. Unlikable as he may be, Plainview is an icon. There Will Be Blood follows him throughout the decades as he amasses his fortune, adopts a son, founds a town and makes an enemy of the church. A gritty, roughnecked portrait of American industry, religion and politics. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Untraceable (R, 100 minutes) “NYPD Blue”/”Hill Street Blues” producer Gregory Hoblit directs this far-fetched thriller about a sexy FBI agent (Diane Lane) tasked with hunting down a cyber serial killer who kidnaps people and hooks them up to elaborate torture machines that will kill them faster depending on how many people log onto his “untraceable” snuff website. It’s meant to be an indictment of America’s violent popular culture, but it’s mostly just another dumb slasher film with a slight Internet-age twist. Opening Friday; check local listings

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in townAliens vs. Predator: Requiem (R, 86 minutes) The cheapjack continuation of two once mighty franchises rolls on thanks to this budget-conscious follow-up to 2005’s AvP. Seems the warring Alien and Predator races have crash-landed in a small Colorado town, forcing the local residents to band together and defend themselves against extraterrestrial bloodshed. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Alvin and the Chipmunks (PG, 92 minutes) Mere months after showing up in Underdog, Jason Lee signs on for yet another CGI decimation of a beloved childhood cartoon. Here he plays David Seville, adoptive "father" to three singing chipmunks. This was probably better left to the imagination, but little kids will laugh at the cute animals and occasional bouts of rude humor. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

American Gangster (R, 157 minutes) Based on an article by Marc Jacobson (who also inspired 2001’s The Believer), this crime saga dramatizes (some might say “lionizes”) the life of Manhattan drug kingpin Frank Lucas. Denzel Washington stars as the slick thug who builds an empire during the ’70s while battling a determined police detective (played by Russell Crowe). Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down) does camera duty. Playing through Thursday at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Atonement (R, 130 minutes) Ian McEwan’s novel comes to life in an epic and sweeping romance courtesy of director Joe Wright (2005’s Pride & Prejudice). In 1935 England, 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) spins a lie that breaks up the budding love affair between her older sister (Keira Knightley) and a handsome groundskeeper (James McAvoy). Five years later, the repercussions of that lie are still being felt as war rages in Europe. Will our lovers be reunited? Will Briony find forgiveness? Rich in morality, emotion and metaphysical depth, this weighty drama manages to combine love and war in one gorgeously assembled package. Playing Regal Downtown Mall 6

Cloverfield (PG-13, 84 minutes) While intimate details remain under a cloak of secrecy, this J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi thriller does revolve around a giant monster attack upon the city of New York. A small group of people, gathered together for a friend’s goodbye party, capture the events through the lens of their camcorder, Blair Witch-style. Opening Friday; check local listings

Enchanted (PG, 108 minutes) Disney attempts to turn its old image on its ear with this partly animated parody about a fairy tale princess (Amy Adams, Junebug) who is magically exiled to modern-day Manhattan by an evil queen (Susan Sarandon). She meets a handsome lawyer (Patrick Dempsey, trading on his "McDreamy" rep), but is soon pursued by Prince Charming (James Marsden). Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Great Debaters (PG-13, 123 minutes) Do you love true-life stories about teachers who inspire rag-tag groups of students to form winning cheerleading/football/math/poetry/whatever teams? Well, here’s another one. In this inspirational outing, Denzel Washington (who also directs) sweet talks students at tiny Wiley College in Texas into forming their first debate team all the way back in racially devisive 1935. It’s inspirational-tastic! Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

I Am Legend (PG-13, 100 minutes) Will Smith steps out in front of this third attempt to adapt Richard Matheson’s classic sci-fi horror novel. Previous versions included Vincent Price in 1964’s The Last Man on Earth and Charlton Heston in 1971’s The Omega Man. Smith plays Dr. Robert Neville, a scientist trapped in New York City after a virus decimates all of humanity—which wouldn’t be so rough if most people hadn’t been transformed into bloodsucking monsters. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (PG-13, 150 minutes) You’ve got to hand it German director Uwe Boll. He’s got tenacity. After a string of legendarily bad videogame-based movies (House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, BloodRayne, BloodRayne II: Deliverance) comes another soon-to-be legendarily bad videogame-based movie. Thanks to a pointlessly large budget, Boll has hired a nutty cast (Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Matthew Lillard, Leelee Sobieski, Ron Perlman, Burt Reynolds) to fill up this dumb sword-and-sorcery pic complete with evil sorcerers, monstrous Krugs (don’t ask) and a farmer named Farmer. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Juno (PG-13, 91 minutes) A labor of love from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody (author of Candy Girl) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), this sweet, smart and very funny flick easily earns a spot as one of the best films of the year. Snarky, cynical 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) gets pregnant after a bout of boredom-induced sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera from Superbad). Ruling out abortion, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to "some lady with a bum ovary or a couple nice lesbos." The pitch-perfect dialogue, the lo-fi soundtrack, the spectacular cast and the perceptive story make this the cult comedy to beat. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Kite Runner (PG-13, 122 minutes) It’s the end of the year, and that means lots and lots of literary adaptations striving for Oscar consideration. Here, we have Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling novel as adapted by Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball). In it, a young Muslim living in California returns to his homeland of Afghanistan to help his old friend, whose son is in trouble. There are lots of flashbacks to our main characters’ troubled and dangerous childhood. The setting is appropriately exotic. If only the story were less manipulative. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Mad Money (PG-13, 104 minutes) Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes form a trio of gals who plot to rob the Federal Reserve where they work. They’re only going to steal old money scheduled for destruction, so who’s to notice? Naturally, things go wrong. Feel free to refer to this mild comic crime caper as Ocean’s Three. Opening Friday; check local listings

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (PG, 124 minutes) After the first, frantic, largely nonsensical National Treasure raked in a ton of dough at the box office, we were guaranteed a return visit from Nic Cage and his Indiana Jones-ish historian. This time around, he’s trying to discover the truth about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by figuring out the mystery behind the missing pages from John Wilkes Booth’s diary. Naturally, this involves lots of crazy clues, some Tomb Raider-inspired traps and a United States map. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

One Missed Call (PG-13, 87 minutes) Back in 2003, mad filmmaker Takashi Miike (Visitor Q, Audition, Ichi the Killer) created arguably the ultimate Japanese ghost story and a perfectly sly parody of the dead-chick-with-long-black-hair genre, putting a final nail in that particular coffin. Naturally, Hollywood has arrived a day late and a dollar short, producing this too literal, too late remake about a group of young friends who start receiving phone calls from the Great Beyond that predict the time and date of their deaths. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

P.S. I Love You (PG-13, 126 minutes) Are you a Vermont maple tree farmer? Do you love sap in all its forms? Well then, this high-concept romance-—sentimental enough to be a Mitch Albom novel—should be to your liking. Hilary Swank stars as a young widow who discovers that her late husband has left her a series of 10 messages, each describing inventive new ways to ease her pain. In carrying out these dying requests (with the help of her sitcom-cute friends, like Lisa Kudrow from "Friends"), our heroine learns to live and love again. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (R, 116 minutes) Talk about your all-star collaborations. Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Stephen Sondheim? Sounds like a match made in heaven. The oft-told tale of a Victorian barber who wreaks gory revenge on the men who wrongly sent him to prison (and pretty much any other warm body that crosses his path) gets an imaginative big screen treatment. The story is bloody good fun and Depp ain’t half bad as a singer. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (PG, 111 minutes) In the proud tradition of Magic in the Water starring Mark Harmon and Loch Ness starring Ted Danson comes this twee family fantasy about a lonely Scottish boy who discovers a mysterious egg that hatches into the Loch Ness Monster. Kids who dream of raising giant monsters might enjoy this period re-creation of E.T., The Yearling, and Old Yeller—at least until the film’s rather scary final reels. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

There Will Be Blood (R, 158 minutes) Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) ditches his ensemble style to (loosely and magnificently) adapt an obscure Upton Sinclair novel. Daniel Day-Lewis eats up the screen as Daniel Plainview, a scrappy misanthrope who builds an oil empire with his bare hands in turn-of-the-last-century Texas. Like Citizen Kane and Giant before it, this is epic American mythmaking. Unlikable as he may be, Plainview is an icon. There Will Be Blood follows him throughout the decades as he amasses his fortune, adopts a son, founds a town and makes an enemy of the church. A gritty, roughnecked portrait of American industry, religion and politics. Opening Friday at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Moody times call for moody tunes. Locally stacked triple bill The Lightmare Before Christmas featuring the darkwave of Jaquardini speaks volumes to our need for something darker than the blues with the cathartic space beats of This Hollow Machine and the Brickbats’ Corey Gorey in a goth solo

Despite the short days and early nightfall, there’s light on the horizon at the 10th annual “Let There Be Light” installation. James Yates curates an eye-dazzling array of work from area artists that challenges the senses and offers magical perspectives, including Yates’ “Luminous Egg Hunt,”

Cluster Kollektion 06: Cluster 1971-1981 (Bureau B) In the ’70s, Cluster’s Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius were part of Germany’s glorious outpouring of synth-based instrumental rock, simultaneously extending ’60s experimentalism and pointing forward not only to the golden age of

Leave it to the Swedes to make a comedy-drama about an elderly widower’s unsuccessful attempts at suicide into the feel-good movie of 2016. A Man Called Ove strikes a rare balance between sardonicism and optimism, between hope and hilarious misanthropy, and succeeds thanks to excellent

The four members of post-rock band Woods Running are about halfway through a pot of mint tea at Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar when they catch the eye of a bearded, ponytailed man sitting at the next table. “Hey guys! I thought that was you,” the man says with enthusiasm. “When’s your next show?”

There is something about the scene of animals gathered in a manger to greet a newborn that offers a bit of relief to the anxieties of our human world. “Animals are so pure of heart,” says Chroma Projects director Deborah McLeod. “They have no political agenda. And in the manger scenes, the

Steeped in music tradition, son jarocho blends elements of African rhythms, Spanish poetry, melodies and native Mexican culture into a single genre, and members of New York City’s Radio Jarocho—master sonero Zenen Zeferino from Jáltipan, Veracruz and zapateado dancer Julia del Palacio from

When Joe Lawlor is not on the road with Dave Matthews Band’s audio crew, the accomplished guitarist is often leading his own sets influenced by funk, blues and classic rock. While it’s a joy to see Lawlor on big stages sitting in on a jam with Dave, there’s a special glow to his hometown

A sparse Christmas tree, a roundheaded kid who questions holiday spirit, a jazz soundtrack and a stirring read of the nativity story combined to make history when “A Charlie Brown Christmas” premiered in 1965. To the dismay of its creators, Charles M. Schulz and Bill Melendez, the animated TV

The first thing to know about Jay Hunter Morris, one of the world’s leading opera singers, is that he hails from Paris—not the City of Light, but the small town in Eastern Texas. His roots have been an integral part of his musical development from his upbringing in gospel to his current status

When R.U.N.T.215th was growing up in Philadelphia in the mid-1980s, he routinely stayed up late and recorded Lady B’s “ Street Beat” Power 99 FM radio show, taping it on his boom box. He’d listen to the tapes over and over—the sets were packed full of Public Enemy, MC Lyte, Audio Two and Melle

Singer-songwriter Dylan LeBlanc has everyone from Rolling Stone to Ralph Lauren featuring his music and singing his praises, but the pressure of early success (at age 19) also left a few scars. After two albums for Rough Trade, LeBlanc chose to resettle in the comfort of his hometown of Muscle

Among the finest local traditions is when the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia and UVA’s University Singers join forces for the Family Holiday Concerts conducted by Michael Slon. This year’s program includes “Carol of the Bells,” “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers,” “Do You

Since the release of Fruit Bats’ 2001 debut, Echolocation, music critics have stuck some pretty obscure labels on Eric D. Johnson’s four-track-recording-project-turned-full-band: “bootgazer,” “rustic pop,” “zoology rock.” But no matter what it’s called, the group’s brand of indie-folk rock has

First Fridays: December 2 Cameron Mankin derived his 14 Fallen in Daredevil #11 series from comic book images. The small etchings—jittery black lines on a chalky white ground—“have a certain doodle-like quality to them, but only if someone drew the same doodle a dozen times in the same spot,”

The best and worst attributes of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them are one and the same: its ambition. The concept is a fun one—exploring J.K. Rowling’s world of wizardry and witchcraft at a different time and a location outside of Hogwarts with brand new characters—that opens up the door

For more than 40 years, Ron Thomason’s intricately woven and hilarious stories have been at the heart of the old-time, Southern gospel and bluegrass songs of Dry Branch Fire Squad. The longtime Prism Coffeehouse favorite’s keen sense of humor and small-town country wisdom, combined with skilled

The post-election climate has many looking for a magical escape, and lucky for us Mike Super is more than qualified to make things disappear. A lifelong obsession with magic has led Super to inject personality, humor and an accessibility that’s unusual in the trade. Join his fanbase of

Whether you are thankful, guided by a dark star or happy pickin’ over leftovers, a live gig awaits that’ll shake off the holiday gravy and leave you grateful for the blues. November 23: Thankful Dead featuring Bigfoot County and Mama Tried at The Jefferson Theater. November 24: DJ Sir RJ’s

In tribute to Pierre Boulez, Organized Delirium honors the French conductor, who may not be a household name, but joins a too-long list of musical pioneers who died in 2016. The 26-time Grammy Award-winner is respected for his role in the “electronic transformation of instrumental music,” as